China censors Taiwan's 'Chinese Taipei' contingent at Olympics opening; cuts own team too

The Tokyo Olympics 2020 were on Friday officially declared 'open' with a barrage of fireworks, glimpses to Japan’s history and culture, and a mesmerizing drone display over the night sky. Tennis star Naomi Osaka concluded the ceremony by lighting the Olympic cauldron atop a peak inspired by Mount Fuji. The entire world on Friday came to a standstill to witness the iconic Olympics opening ceremony in Tokyo, however, a disruption in live streaming during the entry of Taiwan ('Chinese Taipei') might fume the Chinese fans. 

As per ABC journalist Bang Xiao, the Chinese citizens watching the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony fumed at Tencent after it cut the 'Chinese Taipei' Taiwan's team off and replaced the content with a short standup comedy clip. As per Xiao, "the transmission abruptly stopped when the Taiwanese team walked into the stadium." Notably, Taiwan is referred to as the 'Chinese Taipei' in the Olympic Games.

Taiwan has been marching under the name of ‘Chinese Taipei’ since the 1984 Olympic Games despite a long political battle for recognition with the mainland. The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan which is also known as the 'Taiwan Issue' is a result of the Chinese Civil War and the subsequent split of China into the two present-day self-governing entities of the People's Republic of China.

However, China's threat to its neighbors like Taiwan and territories like Hong Kong often comes into the spotlight.

Netizens react to Tencent's censorship

Pakistan's flag-bearer marches mask free

Tokyo's National Stadium was shocked to discover the Pakistan Olympic Team's maskless flag bearers marching confidently during the Opening ceremony. While the rest of the team marched with their faces covered, the two athletes who carried their country's flag had ignorantly put their masks down.

Badminton player Mahoor Shahzad had completely discarded all sorts of regulations while she let her mask completely hang below the chin. However, shooter Khalil Akhtar who accompanied Mahoor during the ceremony did have his mask on yet it still wasn't covering his face completely, leaving his nose out. This was a clear violation of the protocols set up by the Tokyo Olympics committee. The games had already been delayed owing to the COVID-19 and many athletes even had to train for the showpiece event in complete isolation.  

(Image Credits: @Olympics/Twitter)