The World Games, July 16 – 26, 2009, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
The World Games at Kaohsiung City in Southern Taiwan opens today. President Ma Ying-jiou will attend the Opening Ceremony. It will be the first time in history that the Games’ Opening is declared by a Head of State. Despite of Ma’s policy of a gradual unification of Taiwan with China against the will of many people in Taiwan, China, according to reportage, will keep their athletes from attending the Opening Ceremony, so to avoid giving impression of recognizing Ma as a Head of a “State”, neither of Taiwan, nor of The Republic of China.
No doubt, the Games, which has been in preparation for the last 3 and more years, will draw the world’s attention to Taiwan and adds great light on the faces of the people, and should be supported by all people in Taiwan. But Ma’s Government which comes to power last year in May, has been cool to it. It’s reason probably stemmed from the fact that Kaohsiung ’s and those of municipal heads in the South Taiwan are all from non KMT background and/or belong to position, the DPP. There is an International Deaf/Mute’s Game pending in Taipei, where the Mayer of the City is a KMT member, the Athletic Commission of Ma’s Government subsidized it with a huge grant of NT$470 million. Then for the Games in Kaohsiung, the City asked for a NT$350 million subsidy for the opening expenditures, only a fraction of NT$65 million was given by the Commission which says that they support it, but the responsibility falls on the City of Kaohsiung!
The fact shows a sad social/political division in Taiwan. Ma’s Government wants unification with China however gradually, but it will not work for Taiwan as a nation unified.