Huang Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei competes during the women's 1,500m final of speed skating at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, capital of China, February 7, 2022. Photo: Xinhua/Ding Xu

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on the island of Taiwan has vowed to launch an investigation into a Chinese Taipei speed skater who posted a video wearing the uniform of Team China before the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, calling it "inappropriate." Mainland observers condemned their accusations as "a slap on the face" as the DPP has always boasted to be an example for human rights and freedom.

"This is a typical case of the separatist DPP authorities using their power to suppress athletes," Wang Jianmin, a senior cross-Straits expert at Minnan Normal University, told the Global Times on Monday, noting this is one of DPP's old tricks which exposed the rise of populism among the emotional "Taiwan independence" forces.

Su Tseng-Chang, head of Taiwan's executive body, has demanded an investigation into a video of the Chinese Taipei speed skater, Huang Yu-ting. A local media outlet revealed that the hardest punishment against Huang could be banning her from the Chinese Taipei team.

Huang finished 24th in the women's 1,000m final, 26th in the women's 500m and 26th in the 1,500m in the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Huang was the flag-bearer of the Chinese Taipei team at the opening ceremony of the Games but sparked controversy when she posted a video of herself wearing the uniform of Team China while training in the US on January 23, media reported.

Under a storm of cyberbullying incited by the separatists in the island, Huang removed the video, explaining later that a mainland friend had given her the uniform and she wore it as a token of friendship. "For me, it was just the friendship. She gave it to me, the suit, and I just wore it when I was practicing. I did not mean anything. I posted the video because I just want to tell everyone that I am going to the Olympics. I am happy with that," Huang said.

"Huang wore the uniform when she was training in the US, not representing the Chinese Taipei Team at the Games. What is wrong with that?" Wang questioned. 

"Are the DPP authorities restricting people wearing clothes on a personal occasion? Would the DPP authorities have been so aggressive if she was wearing the uniform of other teams, like Japan or the US'?" Wang added.

This investigation by the DPP, who has boasted itself to be an example of human rights and freedom, is "a slap in the face," Wang pointed out.

The Taiwan-based media outlet China Times said on Sunday that the DPP authorities did not pay attention to the athletes' usual but deliberately intensified contradictions when such controversial incidents happened. Although the mainland and the island still have political differences, they should work together on the playing field, instead of using ideologies such as "Taiwan independence" to ignite hostility across the Straits.

This reflects the rise of populism among separatist forces in the Taiwan island as they launch strong attacks on anything that involves the two sides across the Straits and does not conform to their political position, Wang noted.