Daily Lessons from Life 19 September 2010 - Taiwanese golfer refused offer to become Chinese citizen

"Taiwanese golfer refused offer to become Chinese citizen - Sun, Sep 19, 2010 The China Post/Asia News Network

Taiwanese golfer Yani Tseng recently rejected a five-year NT$1-billion (S$42 million) sponsorship deal offered by a Chinese enterprise, which required her to become a Chinese citizen, her father was cited as saying yesterday.

The business, which had been trying to woo the star golfer since last year, approached her again last month with a five-year contract worth US$25 million (S$33.5 million), plus the use of private jets and a luxury villa in Beijing, the father was quoted by Apple Daily as saying. But the deal came with an extra term requiring Tseng to change her nationality to Chinese.

'We cannot change the nationality,' the father, Tseng Mao-hsin, was cited saying. 'So we rejected it right away.'"

In the mega bucks world of sports nowsaday, it is rare to see sports person turning down lucrative offer over principles! So, it is heartening to read of Ms Tseng and her father's swift response when they were asked to put aside their basic principle of working with sponsors!!

Lessons for me are:

1. the headline could have been a bit more PR savvy and used the word: 'declined' instead of 'refused' and that will leave some rooms for further negotiation;

2. Taiwanese, especially those from the Southern region are fairly strong in holding on to their identity as Taiwanese first and then Chinese later! Of course, this is at odd with the mega trend developing as Taiwan really has not much choice when it comes to economics issues dealing with PRC. Many Taiwanese businesses have moved a lot of their manufacturing, sourcing, trading and other activities to mainland China in the last 20 years! It is out of necessity and not patriotism or whatever. So, the talk of an Independent Taiwan will really be a hard sell!;

3. It is a lot of money involved, I won't be surprised if another approach will be made and somehow some compromises will be reached. Of course, Ms Tseng always have the option of becoming an American, which many talented Taiwanese had done already.

May Ms Tseng continued to make wave in the LPGA circuit and bring the Chinese faces to the top of the ladies golfing world apart from the very talented group of South Koreans - USA or ROK!