Taiwanese football fans attending the World Cup in Qatar may be labelled as Chinese on an official fan card and the island’s government has complained over the move, officials said Tuesday.
The ID tag is controversial as Taiwan rebuffs China’s claims to sovereignty over the island, which split from the mainland in 1949.
Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by Beijing, which views the self-ruled democratic island as part of its territory to be re-taken one day, by force if necessary.
Problems with computer recognition of Taiwanese passports are believed to cause the glitch.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday that the government had heard about the issue and had instructed Taiwan’s representative office in Saudi Arabia, which covers Qatar, to “communicate with relevant departments”.
The spokesperson said no immediate reply had been received.
Qatar is expecting more than one million fans to visit during the World Cup, which runs from November 21 to December 18.
All will have to register for a “Hayya” fan ID card that acts as a visa to enter the country and a pass to access stadiums.
But the Hayya online portal does not list Taiwan, or “Chinese Taipei”, the name the island uses to take part in international sports events.
Hayya programme chief Saeed al-Kuwari told reporters he “believed” the card system would list China for the nationality of Taiwanese passport holders.
He said fans should follow the country designation provided when the application reads the fan’s passport, rather than try to select a nationality.
“Whatever nationality it says, it is fine. It will be approved and he will enter the country based on this information,” Kuwari said.
Organisers have insisted that all nationalities will be welcomed to the tournament.
