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China setting new barriers to Olympic torch relay: officials

Chao Tien-lin, spokesperson for Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Frank Hsieh, points to a Taiwan flag yesterday. Chao said that Taiwanese should welcome the Olympic torch by waving the nation's flag if the relay passes through Taiwan. PHOTO: WANG YI-SUNG

Officials accused China yesterday of setting new barriers during negotiations to resolve the row over Taiwan's participation in Beijing Olympic Games torch relay.

The accusation came after Tsai Chen-wei (蔡辰威), the head of Taiwan's Olympic Committee, returned to Taipei from Beijing empty-handed on Saturday, dashing hopes that the two sides were likely to end the dispute anytime soon.

"We were caught unprepared. They created a new issue on the eve of signing the agreement," Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) said.

He did not go into details, but Chinese-langugage newspapers reported that Beijing demanded that Taiwan's national flag not be displayed and its anthem not be played while the torch is here.

Chen urged Beijing to sign the agreement on the consensus previously reached, under which Taipei would be regarded as "a city of an outside territory" and Taiwan be represented by the name "Chinese Taipei."

Beijing Games organizers announced in April that the Olympic flame would visit Taiwan from Vietnam, before moving on to Hong Kong and Macau.

But Taiwan called the proposed route a challenge to its sovereignty after China claimed that the torch's arrival in Taipei would designate the start of the route's "domestic" section.

Taiwanese authorities had compromised on the arrangement of the route, but demanded an agreement that did not suggest the nation was part of China.

Asked whether Taiwan had rejected the torch plan, Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) said yesterday that the government has not given up on the negotiations and hopes to reach an agreement acceptable to both sides.

"Taiwan's stance is very clear. The most important thing is not to downgrade the country's sovereignty," Chang said.

Cabinet Spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) criticized China for a lack of sincerity, while saying Taiwan had shown the highest sincerity.

The pan-green camp threw its support behind the government yesterday.

When asked for comment, Taiwan Solidarity Union caucus whip Lo Chih-ming (羅志明) said China had insulted Taiwan by forbidding Taiwan's national flag, anthem and state emblem during the torch relay in Taipei.

"How can [China] ban [Taiwan's] national flag, emblem and anthem if Taipei is considered an overseas city in the route? An `overseas city' means it belongs to another country," Lo said, adding that the restriction showed that Beijing was insincere about resolving the torch relay dispute.

Democratic Progressive Party caucus whip Wang Sing-nan (王幸男) said the nation's dignity must be the top priority if the torch is to go through Taiwan.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) panned Beijing's move to ban the country's national flag and anthem.

"Beijing's demand is unreasonable and unfeasible. If the Olympic torch came to Taiwan, I would definitely go and welcome it carrying the national flag," Ma said yesterday during a visit to Pingtung County.

Ma said that the International Olympic Committee protocol that requires Taiwan to use a different flag and national anthem during the games did not apply to the torch route.

Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan, Mo Yan-chih

and Flora Wang
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