This is a part of the”Welcome Flag” series of pins issued by the official Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC), in commemoration of the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.

What makes this pin unique is that this design was issued in error, and most of these pins were quickly recalled after it was issued.  The controversy surrounds the use of the Taiwan national flag on an official Olympic merchandise.

Based on a protocol signed with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Taiwan cannot be represented as a separate sovereign state at the Olympics.

Due to unresolved historical and political issues in Chinese politics, the island of Taiwan is not permitted to participate in the Olympics as a “state”, but rather as a territory which is nominal a part of China.

Since the late 1970s, the Chinese authorities have gone to extraordinary lengths to prevent Taiwan being portrayed or represented as a sovereign state at the international level.   Collaterally, all symbols of statehood, including the use of the Taiwanese national flag at the Olympics or on any official commemorative merchandise is strictly prohibited.

As a form of compromise which allows Taiwan to participate in international sports events, but not infringe on the mainland Chinese’s claims of sovereignty over Taiwan, Taiwan is euphemistically referred to as “Chinese Taipei” at the Olympics, using a rather nondescript flag to represent the team.  For a detailed discussion of the use of the term “Chinese Taipei”, here is a link to the Wikipedia entry on the topic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Taipei