Chinese Athletes Surge at Kaohsiung Asian Gay Games, Raising Concerns of PLA Backgrounds and AI Forgery
The 2026 Asian Gay Games in Kaohsiung is facing controversy as the number of Chinese athletes surged to 834, with some suspected of having People's Liberation Army backgrounds or using AI-generated fake registration data. The Kaohsiung Sports Development Bureau has requested clarification from the organizers and temporarily halted immigration registration for Chinese participants due to national security concerns.
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- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 17:48
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 18:02 (13 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 27, 2026 at 18:17 (15 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Tsai Meng-yu, Kaohsiung, 27th) The 2026 Asian Gay Games, set to be held in Kaohsiung, has seen a dramatic increase in Chinese athletes, from a double-digit number last time to 834 this year, accounting for 46% of the approximately 1800 total registrants. Among these, some applicants are suspected of having Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) backgrounds or using AI-generated fake data. The Kaohsiung City Sports Development Bureau stated that it has asked the organizers to explain and clarify the itineraries of the Chinese athletes and has temporarily suspended the immigration registration process.
The 2026 Asian Gay Games, organized by the Taiwan Gay Games Development Association, will take place in Kaohsiung from April 30 to May 4. The previous event in 2022 was held in Taipei. According to the Kaohsiung City Sports Development Bureau, both central and local government agencies have subsidized the event's expenses.
Kaohsiung City Councilor Chiu Yu-hsuan of the Kuomintang questioned today that despite central and local government subsidies for this event, volunteers are under-resourced, medical facilities are lacking, and Chinese athletes are encountering entry issues, making the event an international joke.
Non-partisan Kaohsiung City Councilor Chang Po-yang also questioned that the event has been plagued by online controversies. Many netizens have posted on the social media platform Threads, criticizing unclear event information and athletes being unable to contact the organizers. Furthermore, it was discovered that Chinese individuals were discussing on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu how to use event registration as a shortcut to enter Taiwan for up to 15 days, potentially becoming a national security loophole.
Director of the Sports Development Bureau, Hou Zun-yao, responded that the number of Chinese athletes for this Asian Gay Games has increased, and during the review process, it was found that some applicants lacked athletic prowess, and some even used AI-generated fake data. The organizing association also failed to strictly adhere to agreements regarding verification. The Bureau will urge the organizing association to re-examine the accuracy of the data, assist in resubmitting it to the immigration agency, and strictly enforce group entry and exit.
The Sports Development Bureau further explained that previous Asian Gay Games have always had participants from multiple Asian countries. However, as of April 6 this year, the total number of registrants for this event is 1804, with Chinese participants reaching 834, a significant increase compared to the previous double-digit numbers.
The Sports Development Bureau received 337 applications from the association for review by March 18, but most lacked professional athletic achievement certificates. Additionally, applications involving AI-generated forgeries and individuals with PLA identities were discovered. The Gay Games Association submitted supplementary data on March 25 and continued to submit documents for review by the Sports Department, but these were found to differ from the original approved management method of group entry and exit.
The Sports Development Bureau has again asked the association to explain and clarify the individual itineraries of the Chinese athletes and has temporarily suspended the immigration registration process. The Bureau emphasized that the entry review for Chinese athletes requires a special application process and assistance from various ministries and commissions, including the Sports Department, the National Immigration Agency, and the Mainland Affairs Council. The Sports Development Bureau continues to assist with administrative procedures within its purview. (Edited by Chen Ching-fang) 1150427
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(Central News Agency reporter Tsai Meng-yu, Kaohsiung, 27th) The 2026 Asian Gay Games, set to be held in Kaohsiung, has seen a dramatic increase in Chinese athletes, from a double-digit number last time to 834 this year, accounting for 46% of the approximately 1800 total registrants. Among these, some applicants are suspected of having Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) backgrounds or using AI-generated fake data. The Kaohsiung City Sports Development Bureau stated that it has asked the organizers to explain and clarify the itineraries of the Chinese athletes and has temporarily suspended the immigration registration process.
The 2026 Asian Gay Games, organized by the Taiwan Gay Games Development Association, will take place in Kaohsiung from April 30 to May 4. The previous event in 2022 was held in Taipei. According to the Kaohsiung City Sports Development Bureau, both central and local government agencies have subsidized the event's expenses.
Kaohsiung City Councilor Chiu Yu-hsuan of the Kuomintang questioned today that despite central and local government subsidies for this event, volunteers are under-resourced, medical facilities are lacking, and Chinese athletes are encountering entry issues, making the event an international joke.
Non-partisan Kaohsiung City Councilor Chang Po-yang also questioned that the event has been plagued by online controversies. Many netizens have posted on the social media platform Threads, criticizing unclear event information and athletes being unable to contact the organizers. Furthermore, it was discovered that Chinese individuals were discussing on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu how to use event registration as a shortcut to enter Taiwan for up to 15 days, potentially becoming a national security loophole.
Director of the Sports Development Bureau, Hou Zun-yao, responded that the number of Chinese athletes for this Asian Gay Games has increased, and during the review process, it was found that some applicants lacked athletic prowess, and some even used AI-generated fake data. The organizing association also failed to strictly adhere to agreements regarding verification. The Bureau will urge the organizing association to re-examine the accuracy of the data, assist in resubmitting it to the immigration agency, and strictly enforce group entry and exit.
The Sports Development Bureau further explained that previous Asian Gay Games have always had participants from multiple Asian countries. However, as of April 6 this year, the total number of registrants for this event is 1804, with Chinese participants reaching 834, a significant increase compared to the previous double-digit numbers.
The Sports Development Bureau received 337 applications from the association for review by March 18, but most lacked professional athletic achievement certificates. Additionally, applications involving AI-generated forgeries and individuals with PLA identities were discovered. The Gay Games Association submitted supplementary data on March 25 and continued to submit documents for review by the Sports Department, but these were found to differ from the original approved management method of group entry and exit.
The Sports Development Bureau has again asked the association to explain and clarify the individual itineraries of the Chinese athletes and has temporarily suspended the immigration registration process. The Bureau emphasized that the entry review for Chinese athletes requires a special application process and assistance from various ministries and commissions, including the Sports Department, the National Immigration Agency, and the Mainland Affairs Council. The Sports Development Bureau continues to assist with administrative procedures within its purview. (Edited by Chen Ching-fang) 1150427
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you provide is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the CNA "First-Hand News" App to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.