And I quote from the front of this week's mag:

"Is it right that Rwanda and Chinese Taipei, which have little or no motorsport carry the same sway in the (FIA) process as racing heavyweights such as the USA, UK or Japan?"

Having stayed in Taiwan with my Taiwanese girlfriend I can promise you that describing their capital city as Chinese is seriously offensive stuff. Only China don't recognise Taiwan's independence. Over 60% of Taiwanese people are fiercely independent and don't see themselves as simply another part of China.

If this is to become some kind of official term for Taipei, then I hope not because if it does then it means China overruling the will of the nation of Taipei, with their iron fist and huge world political power.

I have no idea where Andrew van de Burgt got this term but I don't wanna see it used again.

The FIA don't just represent motor sport... but the motorists on the street. It is completely right that every country and capital city has a say in who runs the FIA. Rwanda has as much right to vote as the USA, despite the USA being able to afford to go racing....

Great post

No, it is not...

Even amongst the much less than 60% inhabitants who think ROC should be an independent state -- and it is a de facto one atm, specially after the 1992 Consensus -- both Taiwanese and Chinese are considered correct denomyns... Otherwise they wouldn't still call themselves ROC, btw, would them?

They don't call themselves ROC. The Chinese, and seemingly by a political creeping affect so does the rest of the world.

Taiwan are their own people... and regardless of how small their motor racing community is they should have a say, as common motorists, on what goes on in the FIA. Taipei is a big city - millions of people. Not the same as Rwanda and not the same as CHINA!

Chinese Taipei is the name of the voting membership in the FIA, which the article relates to. This isn't about how the editor chose to describe a certain place, but rather a reference to a specific voting membership's entry name.

See FIA member clubs in Asia; or Chinese Taipei's member club page on the FIA site - http://www.fia.com/en-GB/the-fia/member-cl...neseTaipei.aspx

And FYI, this isn't restricted to the FIA. Have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Taipei

Well that shut them up.

Great post.

It is still wrong that a more powerful country such as China, should be allowed to claim Taiwan as it's own through 'international' naming of it's city as 'Chinese'.

It isn't Chinese. It's Taiwanese.

I fully support Taiwan's independence from China.

Only one country in the world doesn't recognise this, and that is China. I have seen this not just, it seems with the FIA, but with the World Health Organisation, where Taiwan (in order to protect it's citizens from international health issues like swine flu, etc.) has had to enter under the ROC banner.

Mr Donut head above, who has never been to Taiwan or leant even the first thing about it's people, should be less ignorant and more cynical towards global politics, then he might learn something.

If you wanna debate world politics, take it to the Paddock Club forum. Your complaints are clearly addressed on the wrong stage and have nothing to do with Autosport.

Well I apologise for that but I have not applied to enter the paddock club forum, so thought I'd air the view here regarding Chinese Taipei. I just find it unfortunately about the political bullying of international organisations by China to refer to Taiwan as part of their country. I don't think it's fair to the people of Taiwan and I know what the majority there would think then they read the leader column in Autosport.

Yes that may be the official name of the automobile club, and Autosport were correct to print it. But I want to make it known, my reasoning behind why I think the name sucks. Is that too much too ask?

Seeing as this is the wrong forum, yes.