Taiwan and the 2001 Baseball World Cup: The National Impact of a World Sporting Event

Abstract

National identity is one of the most contentious issues in Taiwan. This paper examines the relationship between the staging of the 2001 Baseball World Cup (BWC) and wider issues such as that of Taiwanese nationalism and broader sociopolitical values in Taiwan. It attempts to explain the impact on Taiwanese nationalism of hosting such a sports mega-event. The paper argues that baseball in general, and the 2001 BWC in particular, was a political vehicle utilised by the ‘new’ government to promote social integration/national identity; and it evaluates the responses of the Taiwanese to baseball used for this purpose.

Taiwan et la Coupe du Monde de baseball de 2001 : l'impact national d'un événement sportif mondial

L'identité nationale est l'un des questions les plus litigieuses à Taïwan. Cet article examine les relations entre l'accueil de la Coupe du monde de base-ball 2001 (BWC) et d'autres aspects plus généraux comme ceux du nationalisme taïwanais et plus largement des valeurs sociopolitiques à Taïwan. Il tente d'expliquer l'impact de l'accueil d'un tel méga-événement sportif sur le nationalisme taïwanais; L'article soutient que le base-ball en général et la coupe du monde de 2001 en particulier furent un véhicule politique utilisé par ‘le nouveau’ gouvernement pour promouvoir l'intégration sociale et l'identité nationale et il évalue les réponses des Taïwanais dans le base-ball à cette fin.

Taiwan y el Mundial de Béisbol de 2001: impacto nacional de un acontecimiento deportivo mundial

Una de las cuestiones más controvertidas en Taiwan es la de la identidad nacional. Este artículo examina las relaciones entre la celebración del Mundial de Béisbol de 2001 y otros aspectos más generales como el nacionalismo taiwanés y los valores sociopolíticos en Taiwán. Intenta explicar el impacto que tuvo sobre el nacionalismo taiwanés el hecho de albergar un acontecimiento deportivo de este nivel. El artículo postula que el béisbol en general, y el Mundial de 2001 en concreto, fueron un instrumento político utilizado por el “nuevo” gobierno para promover la integración social y la identidad nacional, y valora las respuestas de los taiwaneses al uso del béisbol con este propósito.

Taiwan und die Baseball Weltmeisterschaft 2001: Der nationale Einfluss einer Weltsportveranstaltung

Die nationale Identität ist eine der umstrittensten Angelegenheiten in Taiwan. Diese Arbeit untersucht die Beziehung zwischen der Ausrichtung der Baseball Weltmeisterschaft (BWC) im Jahre 2001 und weitreichenderen Problemfeldern wie dem des Nationalismus und allgemeineren soziopolitischen Werten in Taiwan. Es wird versucht, den Einfluss eines derartigen sportlichen Großereignisses auf den taiwanesischen Nationalismus zu erklären. Die Abhandlung zeigt, dass Baseball allgemein, besonders aber die Weltmeisterschaft 2001 als politisches Werkzeug von der „neuen” Regierung benutzt wurde, um die soziale Integration/nationale Identitätsstiftung voranzutreiben. Darüberhinaus werden die Reaktionen der Taiwanesen auf den zu diesem Zweck verwendeten Baseballsport untersucht.

Notes

[1] Dauncey and Hare, France and the 1998 World Cup; Hargreaves, Freedom for Catalonia?; Sugden and Tomlinson, ‘Soccer Culture, National Identity and the World Cup’.

[2] Hargreaves, ‘Olympism and Nationalism’.

[3] Mangan, Tribal Identities, 9.

[4] Houlihan, ‘Practical Policy Issues’, 212–13.

[5] Hill, Olympic Politics, 161–3.

[6] See Hargreaves, Freedom for Catalonia?.

[7] Liu, ‘A Study of the Political Intervention in Sports’.

[8] Sport Affairs Council, The 2nd Preparation Report of the 2001 Baseball World Cup, 4.

[9] The National Council on Physical Fitness and Sports changed its English title to Sports Affairs Council (SAC) in 2007.

[10] Government Information Office, The 2002 Yearbook of the ROC.

[11] Because the DPP now realizes that to reconstruct the public's ‘Chinese ideology’ (cultural identity) into a ‘Taiwanese ideology’ (civic identity) will take time to achieve, and prematurely precipitating a crisis with mainland China will be counter productive.

[12] The following countries had diplomatic relations with Taiwan (August 2002):

South America: Belize, Republic of Costa Rica, Commonwealth of Dominica, Dominican Republic, Republic of El Salvador, Grenada, Republic of Guatemala, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Honduras, Republic of Nicaragua, Republic of Panama, Republic of Paraguay, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines.

Asia: Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau.

Africa: Burkina Faso, Republic of Chad, Republic of the Gambia, Republic of Liberia, Republic of Malawi, Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Republic of Senegal, Kingdom of Swaziland.

Europe: Holy See.

[13] Chu and Lin, ‘Political Development in the Twentieth Century Taiwan’.

[14] Under protocols agreed when the PRC and Taiwan (ROC) entered APEC in 1991, Taiwan has attended as ‘Chinese Taipei’ and has been represented by a senior economics-related minister. Taiwan thus takes part in APEC meetings as an ‘economy’ under the title ‘Chinese Taipei’– an arrangement designed to overcome China's objection to the recognition of Taiwan as a state (B. Savadove and A. Hung, ‘China and Taiwan Feud over Envoy for Shanghai Summit' Taiwan Security Research, 15 Oct. 2001, available online at http://www.taiwansecurity.org/Reu/2001/Reuters-101501.htm, accessed 11 Dec. 2008).

[15]‘Customs Territory’ is the official WTO-certified text of the Protocol of Accession negotiated by Chinese Taipei to become a member of the WTO. This protocol provides all the terms, commitments and conditions accepted by Chinese Taipei for membership of the WTO. The protocol includes detailed schedules on market access conditions for Chinese Taipei for trade in both goods and services.

[16] DGBAS, Accounting and Statistics (2002).

[17] This was the first time that baseball was a full medal sport in the Olympic Games.

[18] Only the teams which are in first or second position in the Asian Baseball Cup could qualify to participate in Olympic Games.

[19] Gao Xiang-min, ‘A Chronology of Baseball Development in Taiwan’, 93–100.

[20] Lee, ‘Managing a Corrupted Sporting System’.

[21] Michael Bristow, ‘Taiwan's Baseball Cleans up Its Game’, BBC News, 11 April 2002, available online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1923528.stm, accessed 10 Jan. 2009.

[22] Gao Xiang-min, ‘A Chronology of Baseball Development in Taiwan’, 101.

[23] Interview with the former vice-chairman of the Sport Affairs Council, 5 June 2002.

[24] Interview with Secretary-general of the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association, 6 June 2002.

[25] Interview with one of the lobbying team members of the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association, who is a professor in Taipei Municipal Teachers' College, 5 June 2002.

[26] Ibid.

[27] Ibid.

[28] Ibid.

[29] Interview with the former chairman of the Sport Affairs Council, 3 June 2002.

[30] Information Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, ‘2001 Baseball World Cup in Taiwan’, 31 Oct. 2001, available online at http://www.taipei.org/other/baseball.htm, accessed 8 Jan. 2009.

[31] Interview with Secretary-general of the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association, 6 June 2002.

[32] Bairner, Sport, Nationalism, and Globalization, 2.

[33]‘Baseball World Cup Opens in Tienmu, Taiwan Headlines’, The China Post, 7 Nov. 2001, available online at http://www.taiwanheadlines.gov.tw/20011107/20011107sl.htm, accessed 18 Dece. 2008.

[34] Chieh-yu Lin, ‘Chen Opens Baseball World Cup’, Taipei Times, 7 Nov. 2001, available online at http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2001/11/07/print/0000110429, accessed 18 Dec. 2008.

[35]Jeffery Wilson, ‘Mayor Finds the Spotlight a Drag’, Taipei Times, 19 Nov. 2001, available online at http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2001/11/19/story/0000112241, accessed 18 Dec. 2008.

[36] Ibid.

[37] Sundeen, ‘A “Kid's Game”?’, 255.

[38]Richard Dobson, ‘Recession Spawns Record Unemployment’, Taipei Times, 30 Dec. 2001, available online at http://taipeitimes.com/news/2001/12/30/print/0000117883, accessed 20 Dec. 2008.

[39] Jarvie et al., Sport, Revolution and the Beijing Olympics, 107.

[40] Mangan, Tribal Identities, 9.

[41] Jarvie, ‘Sport, Nationalism, and Cultural Identity’, 74.

[42] Ibid., 76.

[43] This seminar is a workshop which promotes Taiwanese literature. It was held in Tainan County from 4 to 7 August in 2000.

[44] Mei-chun Lin, ‘Chen Lauds Local Artists’, Taipei Times, 5 Aug. 2000, available online at http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2000/0805/03/print/0000046514, accessed 11 Dec. 2008.

[45] Krich, ‘Taiwan Heavy Hitter’, W1.

[46] Ibid.

[47] Smith, National Identity, 14.

[48] Interview with the former chairman of the Sport Affairs Council, 3 June 2002.

[49] Jarvie, ‘Sport, Nationalism, and Cultural Identity’, 76.

[50] Interview with the former chairman of the Sport Affairs Council, 3 June 2002.

[51] Interview with the former vice-chairman of the Sport Affairs Council, 5 June 2002.

[52] Sandra Marquez, ‘Dodgers Introduce Majors' First Taiwanese-born Player’, Asianweek, 11 Oct. 2002, available online at http://www.asianweek.com/2002_10_11/sports_baseball.html, accessed 11 Jan. 2009.

[53] Ibid.

[54] Interview with the organizer of Sinon Bulls Fans Association, 8 June 2002.

[55] Li-hua Huang, ‘Taiwan, so Great’, United Evening News, 3 April 2002.

[56] Chieh-yu Lin and Monique Chu, ‘Fans Celebrate Bronze Medal as if it Were Gold’, Taipei Times, 19 Nov. 2001, available online at http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2001/11/19/story, accessed 18 Dec. 2008.

[57] Ibid.

[58] Miller, On Nationality, 27.

[59] Bairner, Sport, Nationalism, and Globalization, 18.

[60] Interview with the former chairman of the Sport Affairs Council, 3 June 2002.

[61] Hill, Olympic Politics, 35.

[62] Shu-ling Ko, ‘Taiwan Dusts off Baseball History’Taipei Times, 1 Nov. 2001, available online at http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2001/11/19/story, accessed 22 Dec. 2008.

[63] Sport Affairs Council, The 2001 Baseball World Cup Survey, 24.

[64] Ibid., 29.

[65] Krich, ‘Taiwan Heavy Hitter’, W1.

[66] Stephanie Low, ‘DPP Emerges Victorious in Legislative Polls’, Taipei Times, 30 Dec. 2001, available online at http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2001/12/30/print/0000112887, accessed 15 Nov. 2008.

[67] Interview with the former chairman of the Sport Affairs Council, 13 May 2003.

[68] Interview with the principal of the National Taiwan College of Physical Education, 14 May 2003.

[69] Sport Affairs Council, The 2001 Baseball World Cup Survey, 36.

[70]Chia-chiang Su, ‘Chang Chih-chai Effect, So Fresh’, United Evening News, 14 April 2002.

[71] Sugden and Tomlinson, ‘Soccer Culture, National Identity and the World Cup’, 13.

[72] Interview with academic expert of the National Taiwan College of Physical Education, 5 May 2003.

[73] Interview with the former chairman of the Sport Affairs Council, 13 May 2003.

[74] Yuan-Jen Chiang, ‘Taiwan Hosts the 34th BWC’, Korean Daily Sports, 10 Feb. 2002.

[75]‘Taiwan Baseball Officials Join in the Plea to the IOC’, Taipei Times, 9 Sept. 2002, available online at http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2002/09/09/167477/print, accessed 15 Jan. 2009.

[76] Ibid.

[77] Li-hua Huang, ‘Taiwan, so Great’, United Evening News, 3 April 2002.

[78] Power networks are constituted through a whole variety of systematically connected, that is, ‘articulated’ elements, through which effects are produced on ‘power subjects’ (those over whom power is exercised) (Hargreaves, 1986, 5). The term ‘power’ here is referring not to an entity, the mere possession of which enables an individual or collective agent to dominate another, but to a relationship between agents, the outcome of which is determined by agents' access to relevant resources and their use of appropriate strategies in specific conditions of struggles with other agents (ibid., 3).