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The Diplomat ·Behind the news

Playing for a Place in the World Through Taiwan’s Baseball Diplomacy

by Jozef Huljak

Published 2026-07-16 21:40:00+09:00

Why does a winning baseball team have to play under a flag and a name it didn't choose?

0:00 / 10:12 · Narrator Vindemiatrix

Context

The baseball diamond is one of the few stages where Taiwan can be seen by the rest of the world, as this piece from 16 July 2026 observes. Because official politics often keep the island out of global organizations, a home run in a stadium like the Tokyo Dome carries the weight of a national statement. The piece pauses on the strange gap between the name on the scoreboard and the cheers in the stands. A game once used for colonial school lessons has become the most effective way for a sidelined society to be heard.

Show notes

Taiwan uses international baseball to stay visible to the world despite its exclusion from most diplomatic bodies. The sport’s history, from the Japanese colonial era to recent championship wins, explains why the team must compete under the name Chinese Taipei. These tournaments offer a rare way for the public to see a national identity that formal politics often denies.

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