TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Kuomintang (KMT, 中國國民黨) legislator Weng Hsiao-ling (翁曉玲) defended her controversial remarks about national identity on Tuesday (Aug. 6), emphasizing that people living in Taiwan are Chinese from historical, cultural, and genealogical perspectives.
Weng sparked debate after congratulating Taiwan's badminton Men's Doubles, Lee Yang (李洋) and Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟), on winning gold at the Olympics on Aug. 4, referring to them as "the pride of the Chinese people" on WeChat (微信).
Weng argued that "Chinese" is not exclusive to China. As citizens of the Republic of China (中華民國) residing in Taiwan, she believes they are also Chinese in a broader sense.
Weng stressed that her focus was on celebrating Lee and Wang's victory, which she views as a source of pride for all Chinese people. She stated that many who attacked or criticized her may have missed the point.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民主進步黨) legislative caucus expressed regret over Weng's comments. They questioned her allegiance by asking, "When the Lin-Yang pair competed against Chinese players, which team did you cheer for?"