All World Cup ticketholders must apply for the Hayya card that is used to identify fans, but Taiwan's government expressed concern after finding out about the island's online application system.
It was subsequently listed as Taiwan, Province of China, terminology that both angers Taiwan's government and many of its people, and then changed to just Taiwan, earning praise from the government in Taipei.
The listing changed to Chinese Taipei, the name Taiwan used to use to compete in most international sporting events like the Olympics to avoid political problems.
China's Foreign Ministry expressed its appreciation for the Qatari government's adherence to the One-China principle and its handling of relevant matters in accordance with the usual practices of international sports events. It also condemned the move, saying organizers were unable to strictly reject the intervention of improper political forces China engaged in bullying and had repeatedly and blatantly used its 'One-China Principle' to create the false impression that Taiwan belongs to China. Taiwan's democratically-elected government rejects China's sovereignty claims, saying only the island's people can decide their own future. China is trying to assert its sovereignty claims by putting pressure on countries and foreign companies to refer to Taiwan as part of China, as part of its official documents and websites, with phrasing such as Taiwan, Province of China, or Taiwan, China. Taiwan has never played at the World Cup finals and crashed out in the second round of Asian qualifying for the 2022 tournament last year after losing all eight matches. Taiwan has no diplomatic relations with Qatar, which, like most countries, only recognizes China's government.