CHINA: OLYMPIC GAMES - China hits back after Taiwan snubs the 2008 Olympic torch relay route

Record ID: 329523

  • Title: CHINA: OLYMPIC GAMES - China hits back after Taiwan snubs the 2008 Olympic torch relay route
  • Date: 28th April 2007
  • Summary: (BN08) TAIPEI, TAIWAN (APRIL 27, 2007) (REUTERS) NEWSPAPERS SHOWING THE TORCH RELAY ROUTE NEWSPAPER HEADLINE READS: "TAIWAN REJECT OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY ROUTE"
  • Embargoed: 13th May 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVABN084OFJFQZQOJKMVVZH2HQRJ
  • Story Text: A surprised China hit back on Friday (April 27) at Taiwan's refusal to admit the Olympic torch, saying the island's Olympic committee had reneged on an earlier agreement to let the relay pass through.
    Jiang Xiaoyu (pron: djee-ahng hsee-ow yoo), exective vice-president of the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG), told a hastily arranged news conference China was surprised by Taiwan's reaction.
    "Recently BOCOG learned through the media that the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee said the torch relay route for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games was unacceptable to them. We are very surprised," said Jiang.
    Jiang also said that BOCOG was prepared for all eventualities.
    "Any major event has two or even more contingency plans. Something as big as the torch relay will surely have many more contingency plans. BOCOG is fully prepared for this," said Jiang.
    Beijing, host of the 2008 summer games, unveiled the torch relay schedule on Thursday (April 26) and included self-governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own, as the stop before Hong Kong.
    China's games organisers say they had received a letter of acceptance from Taiwan's National Olympic Committee last month.
    But Taiwan sporting officials said that part of the 137,000-km (85,000-mile) route around the world ignored the democratic island's demand that the torch not enter or exit via mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau.
    Jiang said BOCOG still hoped Taipei would go with the original plan.
    "We still hope the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee will abide by our agreement, and respect the torch relay as approved by the IOC," said Jiang.
    Jiang waved a sheath of documents at the press conference he said were letters of correspondence between BOCOG and the Taipei Olympic Committee that proved Taiwan had accepted the route.
    Taiwan is referred to as "Chinese Taipei" in Olympic affairs, a compromise that was reached in the late 1970s to allow the return of China to the sporting movement.
    China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. Beijing has vowed to bring the island of 23 million people back under mainland rule, by force if necessary.

    Taiwanese government's announcement of rejecting the torch relay route set out by Beijing hit the newspaper headlines on Friday (April 27) as Taiwanese residents think politics should never interfere sport events.
    Some Taiwanese media criticized the pro-independence government of President Chen Shui-bian's rejection of the plan, saying politics should not be allowed to intrude into sport.
    The inclusion of Taiwan would be a political boon to the island's two biggest opposition parties, which favor better relations with China, and are looking to win the presidency from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party next year.
    However, resident opposed to the government¡¦s decision. "It's meaningless, why not letting the torch enter Taiwan? Sports and politics should separate, it's meaningless," said Mr. Chen, a Taiwanese resident. Similar points of views are also expressed among other residents.
    "Sports and politics are two separate topics, shouldn't mix," said Ms. Lin.
    "I think we shouldn't politicize sport events, sports belong to sports, other concerns should be placed aside," said Ms. Chen. Others criticize politicians¡¦ involvement in a worldwide sport event.
    "I think politicians involve too much. Sports should belong to sports, Olympics is a worldwide sport event, should not involve politics, "said Mr. Lo. Taiwan government sporting officials said on Thursday they could not accept the torch being passed directly on to Hong Kong, which is part of China.
    "This is an attempt by China to engineer the relay route so that Chinese Taipei is included in China's domestic relay route, thereby obviously undermining our sovereign status. We resolutely reject this," said Yang Zhong-He, chair of national council on physical fitness and sports.
    Taiwan is referred to as "Chinese Taipei" in Olympic affairs, a compromise that was reached in the late 1970s to allow the return of China to the sporting movement.
    China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. Beijing has vowed to bring the island of 23 million people back under mainland rule, by force if necessary.
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