Taekwondo athlete Lee Tung-hsien from the Taiwan island of China holds a Chinese national flag after winning a bronze medal at the Asia-Pacific Masters Games in South Korea on May 14, 2023. Photo: Sina Weibo

A taekwondo medalist from the Taiwan island of China who was subjected to cyberattacks from separatist forces for waving a Chinese national flag after winning a prize at a competition in South Korea, received overwhelming praise from netizens across the Straits with many hailing his patriotic move.

When the taekwondo athlete named Lee Tung-hsien mounted the podium to receive a bronze medal at the Asia-Pacific Masters Games (APMG) held in Jeonbuk, South Korea, on May 14, he brandished a Chinese national flag to celebrate his victory. After the competition, Lee told the press that he felt very honored being a Chinese. 

Lee’s patriotic action incented pours of thumb-ups and likes from netizens whereas it incurred attacks and smears from the “water army” -- online paid posters, as well as from some taekwondo coaches on the island, Lee said in an interview released by taihainet.com. 

In response to the online attacks and malice from the separatist forces in the island, Lee said that such attacks and slanders will only allow the world to see that people on the island are not allowed to follow their hearts and do what they want. 

Lee said that such slanders and smears are meaningless since his position is firm, and that promoting cross-Straits peace is his mission. 

According to media reports, it was not the first time for Lee to take a photo with a Chinese national flag in public. When he previously participated in competitions held in Malaysia, Japan, and South China’s Hainan Province in 2017, 2018 and 2019, he also took photos with the Chinese national flag. This time was the biggest and most important competition which he had ever participated in and where he received a lot of media attention. 

Lee said that what impressed him the most of the competition was that the athletes from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and the Taiwan island entered the opening ceremony venue of the APMG together as members of the same family. 

Lee noted that bringing a Chinese national flag when participating in the competitions is a norm for him and what he wants to express is his position that he is Chinese and people from across the Straits are from the same family. 

Global Times