TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC, 陸委會) expressed regret Monday (Dec. 2) over controversial remarks made by a Chinese student during a visit to Taiwan, urging the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation (馬英九基金會) to clarify the situation. The student's comments at the WBSC Premier 12 event sparked criticism for referring to Taiwan's team as "Taipei, China" (中國台北) and calling for unity in baseball efforts.
The council emphasized in a written response that Taiwan's victory in the WBSC Premier 12 is a shared national pride, highlighting the performances of players like Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) and Pan Chieh-kai (潘傑楷). It reiterated that the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation had promised in writing that the visiting group would refrain from unrelated political statements.
The council noted the student's comments hurt the feelings of the Taiwanese people and called for the organizers to address the issue promptly. It also reminded the exchange group to avoid inappropriate behavior in the future. Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑), the council's deputy minister, stated at a Nov. 14 press conference that the government requires all visiting groups from China to refrain from making political remarks or actions that undermine Taiwan's status.