A Chinese mainland official on Wednesday urged Taiwan
authorities to honor their word and allow the 2008 Olympic torch to
pass through Taipei.
Yang Yi, spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State
Council, said the mainland hopes Taiwan will respect the torch
relay consensus reached by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the
2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) and the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee
(CTOC).
"The mainland hopes Taiwan authorities will not let politics
interfere with this event," Yang said.
He said the route chosen respected the Olympic Charter and IOC
rules and regulations. The Taipei route had been chosen after full
discussions between the BOCOG and the CTOC.
The route has been approved by the International Olympic
Committee.
"The mainland hopes Taiwan will accept the torch relay route and
that Taiwan compatriots will be able to see the flame pass through
Taiwan," Yang said.
CTOC chairman Tsai Chen-wei confirmed in March that the Olympic
flame would fly from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to Taipei and
leave for Hong Kong after the relay in Taipei.
The BOCOG on April 26 unveiled the 137,000-kilometer torch relay
route for the 2008 Olympics, including a stop at Taipei.
But some of Taiwan's pro-independence officials immediately
rejected the route, claiming the plan "belittles" Taiwan.
(Xinhua News Agency June 14, 2007)