Former NBA player Dwight Howard has found himself embroiled in a controversy with China after he referred to Taiwan as a "country" in a promotional video he featured in alongside the democratic island's vice president. The eight-time NBA All-Star has been popular in Taiwan since he joined the Taoyuan Leopards from the Los Angeles Lakers in November last year. In a two-minute online video released on Wednesday, Howard expressed his appreciation for Taiwan, saying that the country made him feel loved. However, China's Communist Party claims Taiwan as part of its territory, despite not having control over it. The party has refused to rule out using force to unify Taiwan with mainland China.
Taiwan is a self-governing democracy with its own military, constitution, currency, and elected government. It is not officially recognized as an independent country by most governments worldwide. The Taiwan issue is a central piece of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's vision of "national rejuvenation," a nationalistic agenda that has led to increased cross-strait tensions.
The promotional video featuring Howard and Taiwan's Vice President William Lai was part of a campaign to invite foreign tourists to spend a night at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei. When Lai informed Howard that travelers could stay overnight at the building, the basketball player exclaimed, "That is crazy! I don't even know that's legal in my country or not." Lai replied by saying, "That's why Taiwan is a free country."
The video sparked immediate backlash in China after it was reposted on Chinese social media platforms. Users accused Howard of supporting Taiwan's independence and demanded an apology. The hashtag "Howard Taiwan independence" became the top trending topic on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, on Friday morning, garnering more than 400 million views by the afternoon.
Censors took down the full video, which showed Howard praising Taiwan for its hospitality, great and friendly living environment, and diverse culture. It also featured the interior of the Presidential Office Building, a large suite for the overnight stay, and tourists posing for photos with Taiwan's military honor guards.
Howard apologized to Taiwanese reporters during an event in Yilan county on Friday, describing his use of the word "country" as a "communication barrier." He said that if he offended anyone in China, he apologized and that it was not his intention to harm anyone with what he said in the commercial. "I am not a politician. I don't want to get involved in any politics... I have the utmost respect for Chinese people and utmost respect for Taiwanese people, so it was never my intent to disrespect anybody," he added.
Under Washington's long-standing "one China" policy, the United States acknowledges that Taiwan is part of China. Still, it has never officially recognized the Communist Party's claim to the democratic island of more than 23 million people. The US is also obligated by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself under the Taiwan Relations Act.
Taiwan's Presidential Spokesperson Kolas Yotaka said in a statement that it was "sad" to see some Chinese internet users "have their hearts broken." She added that Taiwan welcomed Chinese tourists to stay in the country for a few nights, and if they knew more about Taiwan, they would understand why politicians, athletes, tourists, and entrepreneurs from all over the world liked to visit the nation.
This is not the first time that NBA figures have sparked controversy in China, where the league is among the most popular international sports leagues. In 2019, Taiwan began allowing visitors to stay at the Presidential Office Building complex, attracting 167 applications from 33 countries. The campaign, organized by the General Association of Chinese Culture, a non-government organization in Taiwan, was restarted this year after being suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.