THE Taiwan government has denounced its Olympic flagbearer, after the speed skater is seen wearing a Chinese national team suit in an online clip, with one lawmaker calling her attire the “uniform of the enemy”.

China and Taiwan have been at odds for decades, as Beijing regards the island its territory, vowing to seize it one day – by force if necessary.

Taiwan – democratic and self-ruled – is often held up as a bastion of liberalism, but authorities said Olympian Huang Yu-ting may be punished after she hit a nerve last month when she posted a clip of herself in the suit.

Huang removed the video following a barrage of criticism, explaining later that a Chinese friend had given her the uniform and she wore it “for friendship”.

As the Beijing Winter Olympics drew to a close over the weekend, an official said Huang will be investigated and face “appropriate punishment” at the orders of Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang.

Su reiterated that a probe into the misconduct is underway.

“Athletes on the national team… should maintain our national dignity and honour,” the premier told reporters.

“Her conduct is extremely improper and has failed to meet public expectations.”

Huang, 33, was among four athletes competing at the Olympics over the last two weeks.

She drew more ire when she said she felt “at home” competing in Beijing in an interview with Chinese media.

She defended herself on her Facebook pages, which she has since deleted.

“Let sports be sports. In sports, we do not distinguish nationalities,” she had written.

“We are all good friends in private.”

A Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker yesterday said Huang has worn “the uniform of the enemy”.

“Huang does not give a damn about Taiwan where she was born and raised – she embraces China,” said Chiu Chih-wei on Facebook.

Hints also cropped up of China and Taiwan’s political tussle in the lead-up to the Olympics.

A Chinese spokesman referred to Taiwan’s delegation as the “China, Taipei” team – a diplomatic departure from the more linguistically ambiguous “Chinese Taipei” used in the international arena to sidestep sovereignty disputes.

Taiwan reacted by calling on the International Olympic Committee to “prevent the interference of any political factor to belittle and suppress (Taiwan’s) status”.

China-Taiwan ties have been especially frosty since President Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016, as she rejects the stance that the island is part of a single China.

Beijing has ramped up diplomatic, economic and military pressures in recent years—including with a spike in incursions of war planes into the island’s air defence zone last year. – AFP, February 21, 2022.