Taiwan criticises China's 'irrelevant' World Cup viewing offer

Taiwan's government has criticised an "irrelevant" offer by China for Taiwanese fans to use Chinese websites or even visit the country to watch the World Cup, saying it is easily accessible at home.



China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, often likes to tout the benefits of life there to Taiwanese people, including repeatedly saying how the island would be much better off should it agree to Beijing's rule.



On Wednesday, China's Taiwan Affairs Office, responding to a question from state media about an unnamed Taiwanese entertainer complaining they could not find World Cup broadcasts in Taiwan, said China has rights to show all the matches.



"We welcome compatriots on the island to use mainland Chinese websites, apps, and other platforms to watch live broadcasts of the matches, or to come to the mainland to watch the games," spokesperson Chen Binhua told a news conference.



That evening, Taiwan's China-policymaking Mainland Affairs Council said it was quite untrue that Taiwanese couldn't watch the matches, pointing to domestic media companies that have the rights and are showing the World Cup.



Taiwanese fans thus have no need to use Chinese websites or apps, it said in a statement.