By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) - Taiwan on Thursday thanked Qatar for changing the name of the island nation for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“We express our appreciation to the event organizers for their swift response in making the correction and in safeguarding the rights of our nation’s fans,” said Joanne Ou, spokesperson for Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry.
After being pointed out by Taipei, Qatar changed “Taiwan, Province of China” to simply “Taiwan” on an online application “Hayya,” a de facto visa, for all those intending to attend the football world cup later this year, daily Focus Taiwan reported.
China considers Taiwan as its “breakaway” province while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949 with full diplomatic relations with at least 14 nations.
Qatar, like most of the UN member states, does not have diplomatic relations with the island nation, home to over 24 million people.
It is for the first time that the upcoming FIFA World Cup is being held in winter and in the Arab world.