China still hopes to include Taiwan in 2008 torch relay

BEIJING, Mar 9: China is still hoping the torch relay for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will pass through Taiwan, despite current political tensions.

Taiwan is considered a rebel province by China and hopes of including it on the relay looked likely to fall victim to a row which erupted last week when the island's President Chen Shui-bian scrapped a National Reunification Council.

However, China's head of the state general administration of sport told a panel discussion at the annual meeting of parliament late yesterday that the mainland would ''try its utmost'' to include a stopover in Taiwan.

''We are holding active consultations with the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) about how to let the people in Taiwan share the Olympic glory,'' Liu Peng was quoted as saying in the People's Daily.

''As I know, many people in Taiwan hope that the torch relay of the sacred flame of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games can also cover Taiwan.

''The 2008 Games is a grand event for people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. There are many other things we can do in terms of cross-Straits cooperation (for the Games),'' he added.

The torch relay will visit 28 cities around the world and 70 in China between March and August 2008 and go to the top of Mount Everest, according to plans outlined by chief organiser of the Beijing Games Liu Qi last month.

Liu Peng said the plans for the relay had not yet been finalised or submitted to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for approval.

REUTERS