"Hong Kong" with a "China" suffix on the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)'s official website Photo: screenshot of the ITTF's website

The previous International Table Tennis Federation's official website suggested China's Macao a separate country on its official website. Photo: screenshot of ITTF's website

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has told the Global Times that they have rectified the team name of Hong Kong to Hong Kong China, after many Chinese internet users slammed international sports organizations for listing Hong Kong and Macao as countries on August 21. 

"Thankyou for bringing this to my attention. The issue has now been rectified," Matthew Pound, ITTF's marketing director, said to the Global Times in an e-mail. 

On August 21, the Global Times found the ITTF, the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) and the International Basketball Federation listed Hong Kong and Macao, China's two special administrative regions, separately without the suffix of China.

Moreover, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) listed Hong Kong and Macao as "countries" on its website without any explanation or a China-related suffix. 

The Global Times also found that Macao appeared under the category of countries without a "China" suffix on the website of the International Association of Athletics Federations.

The ITTF is the only international sports organization that has responded to the Global Times and made their rectification as of press time. 

Global Times