Pitcher from Taiwan throws at the Tokyo Dome during the World Baseball Classic as the team officially competes under the name Chinese Taipei.

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The World Baseball Classic is one of the few tournaments that really make baseball a global sport. Baseball fans from Japan, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the United States, and many other countries come together to watch their teams compete on the same stage. But every time the tournament starts, one team’s name tends to confuse people who don’t know much about international politics.

The team is called “Chinese Taipei,” but many fans and players proudly say they are from Taiwan.

The name has nothing to do with the sport of baseball. Instead, it reflects a political compromise that has been in place for decades and allows Taiwan to compete in international events without upsetting China.

Why Does Taiwan Compete as “Chinese Taipei”?

Taiwan is an island that runs itself and has its own military, currency, and government. It has more than 23 million people living there. But because of pressure from the People’s Republic of China, most countries do not officially recognize Taiwan as a separate country.

The disagreement began in 1949, when the Chinese Civil War ended. Mao Zedong’s communist forces set up the People’s Republic of China on the mainland. The Nationalist government that lost moved to Taiwan and continued to run as the Republic of China.

Since then, Beijing has said that there is only “One China” and that Taiwan is a part of it. Because of this, China strongly opposes Taiwan being treated as a separate country on the world stage.

The International Olympic Committee and other sports groups were stuck in the middle of this political standoff. The IOC named Beijing as China’s official representative in 1979. This meant that Taiwan could no longer compete as the “Republic of China.”

In 1981, Taiwan made a deal called the “Nagoya Resolution” that allowed it to continue competing in world events. The island would use the name “Chinese Taipei” instead of Taiwan or the Republic of China in the competition.

The deal also called for only symbolic changes. Taiwanese athletes compete under the Plum Blossom Banner, not the national flag. Medal ceremonies play an Olympic anthem instead of Taiwan’s national anthem.

The deal lets athletes compete in international events without making Taiwan look like a separate country, which is something China strongly opposes.

Why the Name Still Causes Controversy in the WBC

The compromise works for the administration, but Taiwanese fans and athletes still don’t agree with it.

A lot of fans at international tournaments, like the World Baseball Classic, just call the team “Taiwan.” Thousands of fans waved Taiwanese flags and chanted “Team Taiwan” outside the Tokyo Dome at the beginning of the 2026 tournament, even though the tournament was officially called Chinese Taipei.

For many people who support Taiwan, the name is more about who they are than about politics. Baseball has a long history on the island, going back to the late 1800s when it was brought there by the Japanese. It is now one of the most popular sports in the country, and it has produced stars in both professional leagues in Asia and Major League Baseball.

Taiwan’s baseball success has also made the country proud. The island won the 2024 WBSC Premier12 tournament, one of the most important international competitions outside the WBC. They beat Japan in the championship game.

Some activists have been calling for Taiwan to compete internationally under the name Taiwan rather than Chinese Taipei following events like this. But the problem is still hard to solve. In a 2018 vote, Taiwanese voters rejected a proposal to push for a name change at the Olympics. One reason was their concern that this could lead to athletes being banned from competing in other countries.

The compromise is still in place for now.

That means that when fans watch the World Baseball Classic and see “Chinese Taipei” on the scoreboard, they are really watching Taiwan, an island that loves baseball and is dealing with the intersection of sports and politics on one of the biggest stages in the game.

Alvin Garcia Born in Puerto Rico, Alvin Garcia is a sports writer for Heavy.com who focuses on MLB. His work has appeared on FanSided, LWOS, NewsBreak, Athlon Sports, and Yardbarker, covering mostly baseball. More about Alvin Garcia