From Collectivism to Individualism

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Tai Tzu-Ying, known as the Queen of Badminton in Taiwan and silver medalist in women’s singles at the Tokyo Olympics, was eliminated in the group stage due to an injury. Her tearful exit moved many Taiwanese fans, who shared “loudly crying” emojis and comforting messages to Tai on social media, lamenting that this soon-to-retire champion couldn’t end her career perfectly. Taiwan’s main sports broadcaster wrote, “Don’t cry, Little Tai, rest well and heal. We’ll support you to the fullest whenever you play.” Actor Kai Ko also posted, “Tai Tzu-Ying is the best! No one in the world will forget her! Leave a message to let her know how great she is!”

Days later when Taiwan’s men’s badminton doubles team defeated China and achieved a historic two consecutive gold medals, the entire nation celebrated the duo known as the “Lin-Yang Pair.” Social media was flooded with posts cheering and celebrating their victory, while businesses and stores launched special promotions to commemorate the triumph.

Meanwhile, Chinese gymnast Su Wei-de made two errors and fell during his horizontal bar routine, causing the team to lose their lead and finish with a silver medal, allowing Japan to take the gold in Team Gymnastics. This sparked outrage on Weibo, with some users accusing him of being a “traitor.” Despite Su’s apology and China’s official media supporting him by stating that it wasn’t solely his fault, public anger remained. Similarly, at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the Chinese mixed doubles table tennis team apologized with tears after winning a silver medal instead of gold.

Past research has compared Eastern and Western cultures, highlighting that the East values “collectivism” while the West values “individualism.” In sports, studies have shown that the East emphasizes national spirit, modesty, and strict boundaries, whereas the West focuses on global spirit, fair competition, and the pursuit of limits (Wang Chien-Tai, Chiu Sz-Tsz, 2006). The author believes that the differing reactions of Taiwan and China to Olympic results reflect a decline in collectivism and the rise of individualism in Taiwan.

Eastern Collectivism vs Taiwan’s Individualism

Chinese culture places a significant emphasis on collective performance and tends to be highly critical of individuals who deviate from the group or cause the group to fail. In sports, this collectivism often links an athlete’s performance to collective identity and even collective honor. For example, in 2018, a Malaysian Chinese newspaper used the proverb “a rat’s droppings spoil a pot of porridge” to criticize a Chinese weightlifter who was banned for using prohibited substances.Similarly, during the Paris Olympics, the only Taiwanese athletes heavily criticized on social media were the tennis doubles sisters Latisha Chan and Chan Hao-ching. They were accused of misusing national resources and were reported to have cited heatstroke as the reason for withdrawing from representing Taiwan, only to participate in a personal competition in the US shortly afterward. Criticism from Chinese netizens towards athletes who made mistakes also reflects the connection between an individual’s sports performance and national sentiment.

Due to its rivalry with China, Taiwan’s sports development after World War II was closely tied to national security. Following the Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan in 1949, the concept of “defending the nation” from the 1929 National Sports Act and the 1954 Ministry of Education’s Education Implementation Program During the Period of National Mobilization for Suppression of the Communist Rebellion, which emphasized “recovering the mainland,” clearly indicated that the purpose of hi-performance sport was not for personal achievement but national service. However, in recent years, this situation has gradually changed. As Taiwan has democratized and embraced more diverse and adaptive development, its sports culture has also evolved.

As the opposition between Taiwan and China shifted from physical contests to a political tug-of-war in international arena and with Taiwan moving further towards democratization, sports gradually detached from the concept of “national security.” Although Taiwan still relies on national resources to develop athletes, such as the “sports classes” in schools in the 1980s to cultivate sporting talents, there has been a growing emphasis on grassroots initiatives. This includes the creation of “grassroots athlete training stations” to integrate local and central sports resources. While Taiwan’s commercial sports development still lags behind that of the United States, the emergence of corporate sponsorship in professional sports since 1989 has enhanced public engagement with sports and made sports more accessible.

Celebrating Diversity

However, the author believes that the stress on collectivism is becoming less relevant to today’s sports culture in Taiwan. When the Taiwanese badminton queen faced defeat, the public was moved to tears, showing their understanding of the pain and their empathy for the athlete. In other words, Taiwan’s increased individualism allows people to profoundly relate to athletes’ feelings of falling short, prioritizing the athlete’s personal emotions over national victories and losses.

In contrast, China continues to regard collectivism and integrated values as the core value. A striking example of this was the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, where 2,008 performers showcased nearly identical movements, creating a visually stunning representation of China’s pursuit of collective unity. In recent years, China’s collectivism has reinforced by “the great national rejuvenation,” strengthened by the Communist Party’s top-down control and its integration with nationalism. This influence is evident even in China’s narrative about Taiwan, emphasizing Taiwan is collectively a part of China. For instance, this year, a new version of the popular 1980s Taiwanese song “Tomorrow Will Be Better” was performed by numerous artists from both Taiwan and China, reflecting the continued blend of collective and nationalistic sentiments.

Taiwan’s values and perspectives have gradually shifted towards individualism and celebrating diversity. Perhaps China could learn from Taiwan’s large events, where music festivals feature voices from diverse ethnic groups. Taiwan’s education system also demonstrates that students enjoy greater autonomy. Additionally, by observing Taiwan’s attitude towards Olympic athletes, China would see how Taiwan and China are increasingly diverging in their views and values.

(Featured photo by Zhan-Wei Lee)