Taiwan Marathon Awards Chinese Rifles as Trophies, Organizers Apologize

Organizers of the southern Taiwan marathon apologized on Sunday after accidentally awarding winners trophies cast in the form of Type 95 automatic rifles—weapons employed by China’s People’s Liberation Army (CPLA).

The mistake, covered by the Taipei Times, brought on almost instant indignation, which led to quick correction.

How the Incident Unfolded

The Fongshan Marathon was held in Kaohsiung’s Fongshan District. The courses running through three usually off-limits military schools. Which includes the Military Academy, the Fongshan Army Infantry School, and the Chung Cheng Armed Forces Preparatory School. The marathon was arranged by Hsu’s office in coordination with the Kaohsiung City Fongshan Jogging Association.

The Kaohsiung Fengshan Marathon, organized by a local legislator and guided by the Ministry of Defense, accidentally had a gold PLA rifle (QBZ-95) as a trophy
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After the public outburst, Hsu apologized further to the relevant departments and to the public at large. He promised that things would be approached with more prudence in future events.

“Due to the co-organizer’s oversight, the trophies were mistakenly modelled after rifles not used by Taiwan’s armed forces,” Hsu declared. He maintained that steps had already been initiated to recover and replace the trophies as quickly as possible.

Organizers Defend Their Decision

The co-organizing Kaohsiung City Fongshan Jogging Association explained that the rifle-like shape was adopted solely for its looks and military theme. The association rejected the assertion that the adoption was related to Chinese “united front” activities.

“We had no ulterior motives,” the association asserted, calling on people not to level baseless accusations that could take shine off the work put into hosting the marathon.

To correct the situation, the producer has been ordered to make new trophies. The winners will be contacted by event staff once they are available. The military sponsored grounds for the Taiwan marathon. They announced that it will advise organizers to be more cautious in the future to avoid a repeat of such an incident.

This event reminds us of the delicacy in Taiwan’s interaction with China and the need to exercise caution in planning public affairs to prevent inadvertent controversies.