A Taiwanese e-sports team was on Wednesday denied entry to a competition next year after the German body overseeing it argued that Taiwan does not exist on any UN list of countries or regions. This underscores the urgent need for a referendum on independence.
Although a declaration of independence would probably not see Taiwanese sovereignty recognized in the short term, it would legally protect the nation from annexation and afford it international recognition, while putting it on the path toward sovereignty in the long term. It would also protect the democratic rights and the will of the nation’s 23.5 million people.