The Executive Yuan roundly condemns China for political interference that has resulted in the revocation of Taiwan's right to host the first East Asian Youth Games, scheduled for 2019.
The East Asian Youth Games is intended as an international stage where young competitors from countries around East Asia can demonstrate true sportsmanship and athletic excellence. The development and exchange of sports should be the highest and sole consideration. Nonetheless, China has hurt the development of sports for political gain, employing rough tactics to sabotage the hosting of an international sporting event. These actions show that China is not a civilized nation but a troublemaker in the global community.
Obstructing Taiwan from hosting such a large-scale international competitive event as the East Asian Youth Games severely undermines the rights of not only Taiwan's representative team but also those from other participating countries. China's unreasonable actions also trample on the hard work of the host city Taichung as well as the enthusiasm of the people of Taiwan.
Premier Lai Ching-te has directed the Sports Administration to extend full support to the Taichung City Government and the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee as they lodge a formal protest with the East Asian Olympic Committee in defense of Taiwan's rights.