Taipei: Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has urged Chinese authorities not to politicize sports exchanges, following an incident in which Taiwanese table tennis player Lin Yun-ju wore a red scarf associated with the Chinese Young Pioneers during an event in China. The council emphasized that such actions could undermine cross-strait professional interactions.

According to Focus Taiwan, MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh stated that the council suspects Lin was “arranged” to participate in the pre-game event, a move perceived as a propaganda effort by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The MAC expressed concerns that Lin was “unknowingly” involved in wearing the red scarf, a symbol linked to Chinese elementary students, and partook in singing a united front-themed song.

The incident, involving Lin, Taiwan’s top-ranked male paddler, was “deliberately publicized” by Chinese authorities, the MAC noted. The council reiterated that cross-strait exchanges should not be manipulated for political purposes, criticizing the CCP for using such occasions for propaganda.

The controversy arose after images and videos of Lin with a red scarf and interacting with students in China’s Shandong province surfaced online, capturing public attention. The red scarf signifies membership in the Chinese Young Pioneers, an organization under the CCP-led Communist Youth League of China. A video on Weibo showed Lin holding hands with students, all wearing red scarves, while singing “I Love You, China.”

Lin’s participation in the event, alongside his teammates at the Shandong Weiqiao Table Tennis Club, which includes Olympic gold medalist Wang Chuqin, has sparked discussions about potential political implications. The Shandong club, with Lin, won the men’s team title in the previous year’s Chinese Table Tennis Super League.

Under Taiwan’s Article 33-1 of the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, engaging in cooperative activities with political organizations from the Mainland Area is prohibited. Although it remains uncertain if Lin will face investigation under this act, a report by ETtoday cited an unnamed official indicating Lin was unaware of the situation beforehand and had raised concerns.

In defense, Lin’s agent informed the Liberty Times that Lin’s sole purpose in Shandong was to compete, emphasizing his focus on the competition and denying any political intent. The agent clarified that accepting the competition invitation was the only decision made by Lin.