Seeking a Separate National Identity: The Taiwanese State, Politics and the 2007 Baseball World Cup

Through in-depth interviews and the collection of related data, this study shows that hosting mega-sports events reflects the Taiwanese government's objectives to create diplomatic status and national identity as well as to maintain the government's hegemony. In short, by hosting the Baseball World Cup, the government seeks to resolve its current crisis, to transfer the people's disappointments about the economic recession and political chaos and to regain the people's enthusiasm for baseball. In addition, the event functions as a diplomatic resource and is used to rebuild the people's patriotism and national identity.