TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Images and videos appeared on Monday (Aug. 5) showing a Chinese woman directing security guards to confiscate banners from Taiwanese fans cheering on Taiwan's badminton duo on Sunday (Aug. 4).
A Taiwanese YouTuber who goes by the handle Pourquoi La France posted images to Threads of a Chinese woman speaking to security guards at the men's badminton doubles finals shortly before those staffers were seen seizing banners from Taiwanese audience members. The YouTuber said the Chinese woman was seen by numerous spectators “dictating the security and volunteers to confiscate all banners ‘related to Taiwan.’”
She said the Chinese woman then handed out souvenirs to security and volunteers to thank them for their “cooperation.” In a video uploaded to the post, a Taiwanese woman confronts the Chinese woman and asks her what she has just been doing.
The Chinese woman said she had just been handing out pins to members of the “Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games.” She asked the Taiwanese woman if she wanted one of the pins, but she politely declined and sarcastically congratulated China on winning second place.
Taipei-based policy analyst J. Michael Cole Monday wrote that the Chinese woman was seen guiding security staff on “which symbols of Taiwan needed to be targeted and removed.” He described her behavior as “utterly shameful.”
Cole added that at least three Chinese nationals were “involved in this casing and identification of Taiwanese 'targets.'”
The man on the left in the photo below was later seen snatching signs from Taiwanese fans at the event. This included signs that read “Let's Go Taiwan” (Taiwan 加油), “Tai WAN No. 1," and Bon Courage (good luck in French).
