The government yesterday said it supported China's bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, but that it was too early to discuss Beijing's invitation to Taipei to co-host the international sporting event.
"We'd like to see Beijing win the bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games. As for the question of whether Taipei would accept Beijing's invitation [to co-host,] it is too early to discuss it," vice chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council Chen Ming-tong (
The report said that the Beijing 2008 Olympic Bid Committee was seriously considering the possibility of inviting Taiwan to co-host the 2008 Olympic Games, adding that relevant governmental departments were studying the situation.
PHOTO: LIBERTY TIMES FILE PHOTO
"If the 2008 Olympic Games are to be held in Beijing, some of the mass events like soccer, baseball and basketball may be held in Chinese cities including Shanghai (上海) and Guangzhou (廣州), but why not Taipei?" a committee official said.
Opposition lawmakers in Taiwan were optimistic about co-hosting the events with Beijing calling it a gesture of goodwill extended from China.
"To put political differences aside, the development of cross-strait relations will benefit from cultural, sports and trade exchanges across the strait," People First Party Legislator Chung Shao-ho (鍾紹和) told the Taipei Times yesterday, adding that Taiwan could no longer isolate itself from the international community.
KMT Legislator Apollo Chen (
"This will be a good opportunity for Taiwan to distinguish itself from China so that the international community knows that Taiwan and China are different under the `one China' principle," Chen said, adding that Taiwan's co-hosting the game with Beijing would enhance Taiwan's exposure to the international community.
DPP legislator Su Huan-chi (
"It's a gesture of goodwill, but we need to evaluate carefully what strategies were behind their offer," Su said, adding that Taiwan should avoid falling into the trap of unification propaganda (
A source from Hong Kong -- who preferred to remain unidentified -- told the Taipei Times that Chinese authorities have been very active in asking Taipei to co-host sporting events with Chinese cities. The source said China expressed the same wish last time when Hong Kong was bidding for the Asian Games, though Hong Kong failed to win the bid.
Su, nevertheless, said that Taiwan should not turn down the offer immediately.
A Taiwanese member of the International Olympic Committee (國際奧會) Wu Ching-kuo (吳經國), however, said that there is no possibility that Taiwan could co-host the 2008 Olympic Games with Beijing according to the committee's charter.
"However, what would be more ideal and realistic is that Taiwan coordinates with Beijing after Beijing wins the bid to host the Games. Some sporting events can then be held in Taipei," Wu told local media on Friday.
Meanwhile, Vice President Annette Lu (
Delivering a speech at a Presbyterian church, Lu said that as long as "we use love, peace and blessings," cross-strait relations will be improved. She cited Taipei's support of Beijing's Olympic bid as an example of this.
According to Lu, the aim of the Olympic Games is to take a stand against violence, military means and the use of force, and if Beijing wins the bid to host the 2008 Games next July, it will have to "show love and peace" to Taiwan and the rest of the world in the next few years, which she said would in turn provide "a new chance for cross-strait relations."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
UNRELENTING: China attempted cyberattacks on Taiwan’s critical infrastructure 2.63 million times per day last year, up from 1.23 million in 2023, the NSB said China’s cyberarmy has long engaged in cyberattacks against Taiwan’s critical infrastructure, employing diverse and evolving tactics, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday, adding that cyberattacks on critical energy infrastructure last year increased 10-fold compared with the previous year. The NSB yesterday released a report titled Analysis on China’s Cyber Threats to Taiwan’s Critical Infrastructure in 2025, outlining the number of cyberattacks, major tactics and hacker groups. Taiwan’s national intelligence community identified a large number of cybersecurity incidents last year, the bureau said in a statement. China’s cyberarmy last year launched an average of 2.63 million intrusion attempts per day targeting Taiwan’s critical
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it
UNDER WAY: The contract for advanced sensor systems would be fulfilled in Florida, and is expected to be completed by June 2031, the Pentagon said Lockheed Martin has been given a contract involving foreign military sales to Taiwan to meet what Washington calls “an urgent operational need” of Taiwan’s air force, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. The contract has a ceiling value of US$328.5 million, with US$157.3 million in foreign military sales funds obligated at the time of award, the Pentagon said in a statement. “This contract provides for the procurement and delivery of 55 Infrared Search and Track Legion Enhanced Sensor Pods, processors, pod containers and processor containers required to meet the urgent operational need of the Taiwan air force,” it said. The contract’s work would be
RSS