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Writer protests Man Booker listing nationality as 'Taiwan, China'

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Agence France-Presse

A Taiwanese author whose novel is nominated for the renowned Man Booker International Prize said he will protest to the awards organizer for changing his nationality to &quot;Taiwan, China.&quot;Wu Ming-yi&#x27;s &quot;The Stolen Bicycle&quot; was among the 13 books longlisted for the prestigious award.The author said his nationality on the Man Booker website had been changed from &quot;Taiwan&quot; to &quot;Taiwan, China&quot; since the list was announced.The incident follows Beijing&#x27;s rebuke of foreign firms -- including Zara, Marriott, and Delta -- for listing Taiwan as a separate country on their websites.Taiwan has been self-ruled since splitting from the mainland after a 1949 civil war, but China continues to claim sovereignty over the island.Beijing has increased pressure on Taiwan&#x27;s President Tsai Ing-wen as she has refused to acknowledge the island is part of &quot;one China.&quot;Wu said on his Facebook page he cannot agree Taiwan is part of China. &quot;My nationality on the web page has been changed from Taiwan to Taiwan, China, which is not my personal position on this issue,&quot; he said.&quot;I will therefore seek assistance in expressing my personal position to the awards organisation,&quot; he wrote.The Man Booker organisers said they were advised &quot;Taiwan, China&quot; was the &quot;correct, politically neutral form.&quot;They added they were seeking clarification from Britain&#x27;s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.&quot;We are aware that Wu Ming-yi defines himself as Taiwanese and have kept him informed throughout the process,&quot; they said in a statement Friday.Wu&#x27;s book, written in Chinese and translated into English, is about a novelist searching for his missing father&#x27;s bicycle.The shortlist for the prize will be announced on April 12 and winner on May 22.

Wu Ming-yi's "The Stolen Bicycle" was among the 13 books longlisted for the prestigious award.

Wu Ming-yi's "The Stolen Bicycle" was among the 13 books longlisted for the prestigious award.