Despite heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait, the country's sports officials have voiced support for Beijing's bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games.
Wu Ching-kuo (吳經國), Taiwan's representative on the International Olympic Committee, reiterated his intention on Monday to cast his vote for Beijing when the IOC holds its annual meeting in Moscow to pick the host city on July 13.
Wu made the remark at a meeting with Yuan Weimin (袁偉民), president of Chinese Olympic Committee, who is in Taipei for a six-day visit.
An 11-member Chinese sports delegation led by Yuan arrived in Taiwan on Sunday for a six-day visit at the invitation of Taiwan's Olympic committee.
Beijing is competing against Paris, Toronto, Osaka and Istanbul for the 2008 Games.
In another positive move, Huang Ta-chou (
"Both sides should cherish the development we have today and continue to strengthen sports exchanges," Huang told Yuan on Monday.
In 1993, China's capital city lost its bid to host the 2000 Olympics to Sydney by just two votes, although it had led the pack in the first three rounds of voting.
Wu has expressed optimism that Beijing will win the bid this time.
To that end, China has spent some US$17.8 billion beautifying the city and another US$12 billion shoring up its environmental protection measures.
Under IOC rules, Chinese representatives will not be allowed to vote at the Moscow meeting because Beijing is one of the candidates.
As the world's most populous country, China deserves the chance to host the event, Wu said.
The Olympic committees of Taipei and Beijing have alternately hosted cross-strait sports seminars since 1997.
The seminars were suspended in 1999 when bilateral ties soured after former president Lee Teng-hui (
Political analysts say the ongoing visit by the Chinese Olympic delegation was an indication of the complicated relationship between Taipei and Beijing.
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