Chu analyzes the importance of the Olympic medal haul to the Chinese, Taiwanese, and Hong Kong authorities.
Between 1984 and 2021, elite athletes from the member regions of Greater China - China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong - competed at each of the ten Summer Olympics. By winning 263 gold medals, 199 silver, and 173 bronze, China became a global sports superpower. Taiwan and Hong Kong pocketed 7 gold medals, 10 silver, and 17 bronze and 2 gold medals, 3 silver, and 4 bronze, respectively, displaying their world-leading statuses in archery, badminton, baseball, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, Judo, karate, sailing, Taekwondo, table tennis, and weightlifting. In response, the leaders of the three regions delivered high-profile praise. Their administrations awarded cash, badges, and honorary titles to the medalists. Reviewing journalistic reports, key-players' memoirs, official documents, and scholarly works, Chu details the context in which the Olympic medal haul was leveraged for political change within the three regions and their relations with each other. He reveals that the praise and rewards bestowed by the respective authorities on the medalists served broader strategic goals across domestic politics and international relations.
A valuable read for those interested in the Greater China studies and the politics of sport.
About the Author: Chu analyses the importance of the Olympic medal haul to the Chinese, Taiwanese, and Hong Kong authorities to leveraging political change.
Between 1984 and 2021, elite athletes from the member regions of Greater China - China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong - competed at each of the ten Summer Olympics. By winning 263 gold medals, 199 silver, and 173 bronze, China became a global sports superpower. Taiwan and Hong Kong pocketed 7 gold medals, 10 silver, and 17 bronze and 2 gold medals, 3 silver, and 4 bronze. In response, the leaders of the three regions delivered high-profile praise. Their administrations awarded cash, badges, and honorary titles to the medalists. Reviewing journalistic reports, key-players' memoirs, official documents, and scholarly works, Chu details the context in which the Olympic medal haul was instrumentalized for political change within the three regions and their relations with each other. He reveals that the praise and rewards bestowed by the respective authorities on the medalists served broader strategic goals across domestic politics and international relations.
A valuable read for scholars of intra-Greater China relations, and of the international politics of sport.
