Taiwan will allow the Beijing Olympic torch to pass through Taiwan if the torch relay route does not imply Taiwan is part of China, a sports official said on Wednesday.
”If the torch comes from China to Taiwan and returns to Hong Kong or Macau, we won’t accept it because that implies Taiwan is part of China,” said Chu Shou-chien, spokesperson for the National Council of Physical Fitness and Sports.
”If the torch comes to Taiwan from China and then goes to South Korea, or Japan or the Philippines, it is fine because that means Taiwan is just one stop on the international route of the Olympic torch relay,” he said.
”We believe Beijing wants to hold a successful Olympic Games in 2008, so we urge China not to manipulate the torch relay,” he said, adding that Taipei will inform the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of its stance.
China sees Taiwan, seat of the exiled Republic of China government-in-exile since 1949, as a Chinese province awaiting unification with the mainland, but many in Taiwan consider the island a sovereign state.
On August 2, a Chinese sports official said China will consider letting the Olympic torch pass through Taiwan.
Jiang Xiaoyu, vice-chairperson of the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games, said Taiwan public opinion polls have shown that half of Taiwan residents want the Olympic torch to pass through Taiwan. Taiwan helped Beijing win the bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games.
Because of this, Beijing plans to suggest to the IOC to let the torch pass through Taiwan. Beijing will submit the preliminary torch-relay plan to IOC late this year or early next year. — Sapa-DPA