Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) urged China yesterday not to attempt to change the Chinese-language versions of Taiwan’s official Olympic title to avoid unnecessary disturbances that might interfere with the smooth running of the Games.
The government yesterday reached a consensus that the official title Chinese Taipei should be addressed as Zhonghua Taibei (中華台北) in Chinese and not Zhongguo Taibei (中國台北, Taipei, China),” Wang said.
LUNCH MEETING
Wang said that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄), Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) had agreed upon this at their weekly lunch meeting.
Taiwan is officially known as Chinese Taipei by the International Olympic Committee after an agreement signed in Hong Kong in 1989.
That agreement specified that Taiwan would be referred to as Zhonghua Taibei in Chinese characters in any of the Games’ publications or public information, including brochures, invitation letters, athletic badges and media broadcasts.
Yang Yi (楊毅), spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office under China’s State Council, said last Wednesday that both Zhonghua Tabei and Zhongguo Taibei were valid translations for Taiwan’s official English Olympic designation.
‘NOT DEGRADING’
Yang said that translating “Chinese Taipei” into Zhongguo Taibei was not degrading to Taiwan.
But Wang said: “In line with the long-term practices of the Olympic committee, it shouldn’t be a problem that Chinese Taipei be read as Zhonghua Taibei.”
Wang said that China should also agree to the translation of Zhonghua Taibei because both sides of the Strait had reached a consensus to set aside disputes.
Wang said that the government had set up an emergency response mechanism in case China makes a fuss of the issue and would handle any situation properly.
Everyone hopes that the Olympic Games can proceed smoothly, and we don’t want to see any unnecessary disturbances caused over this issue, Wang said.
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