The Taipei Mission in Sweden expresses serious concern over a recent incident during the World Choir Games in Helsingborg, Sweden, on August 15, prior to the final performance of Kaohsiung’s Nibun Chorus. Event staff restricted Swedish attendees from peacefully displaying Taiwan’s national flag in support of the choir and interfered with the legitimate reporting activities of a journalist from Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA).
The Mission is issuing formal communications to INTERKULTUR, the organizer of the World Choir Games, and the City of Helsingborg to address these actions. The Mission emphasizes that international cultural events should embody openness, inclusiveness, and mutual respect, while fully safeguarding freedom of expression and press freedom. The "Olympic Model" and its application must not be arbitrarily expanded to suppress peaceful expressions of support or restrict legitimate media coverage unrelated to the competition itself.
Sweden has long championed democracy, freedom of speech, and press freedom—core values deeply cherished by both Taiwan and Sweden. The Mission will continue to engage with relevant authorities to seek a clear explanation and appropriate handling of this matter, ensuring that Taiwanese groups and citizens can participate in international events with equal dignity and rights.
Furthermore, the Mission strongly rejects a statement released by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Sweden following the event, which unilaterally tallied Taiwan’s participating teams under its so-called "Chinese delegation (including Hong Kong, Macao, and the Taiwan region)." Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and China has no right to represent Taiwan. The teams from Taiwan participated representing Taiwan, and their achievements belong solely to the performers and the people of Taiwan. The Chinese Embassy’s attempt to conflate Taiwan with China and misrepresent the identity of Taiwanese participants is factually false and violates the fundamental spirit of mutual respect in international cultural exchanges.
The Mission highly commends the Nibun Chorus and all participating Taiwanese teams for their outstanding performances, which showcased the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Taiwan to the world. We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to our Swedish friends and the overseas Taiwanese community for their passionate support. Music and culture should serve as bridges for mutual understanding and friendship. The Taipei Mission will continue to support Taiwanese arts and cultural groups on the global stage, enabling more friends in Sweden and around the world to discover Taiwan through cultural exchange. (E)
