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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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Taiwan Sits Out Olympic Torch Relay Over China Tiff

Stop in Taipei canceled thanks to disagreement with China

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(Newser) – Add the Olympic torch route to the list of things China and Taiwan can’t agree on. After a month of debate, officials have canceled a stop in Taipei because the sides could not agree on the route, or the use of Taiwan’s national anthem and flag. Beijing said the move sets “a vile precedent,” the BBC reports.

Beijing officials accused Taipei of violating the Olympic charter by manipulating the Taiwan leg for political purposes. Taiwanese officials complained that the route implied that Taiwan was a part of China, with Beijing also seeking to limit the use of Taiwan’s flag and national anthem. Taiwan has been independent since 1949, but China views it as part of its territory.

Taiwan Olympic Committee Chairman Tsai Chen-wei comments on the canceled stop in Taiwan of the torch relay route for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games during a press conference, Friday, Sept. 21, 2007, in Taipei, Taiwan. In the conference, Tsai said the International Olympic Committee has cutoff the negotiations between China...
Taiwan Olympic Committee Chairman Tsai Chen-wei comments on the canceled stop in Taiwan of the torch relay route for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games during a press conference, Friday, Sept. 21, 2007, in...   (Associated Press)
Hong Kong Olympic Committee President Timothy Fok attends a press conference in Hong Kong to unveil the torch design that will be used in the torch relay for the Beijing Olympics Monday, Aug. 13, 2007. (AP Photo/Lo Sai-hung)
Hong Kong Olympic Committee President Timothy Fok attends a press conference in Hong Kong to unveil the torch design that will be used in the torch relay for the Beijing Olympics Monday, Aug. 13, 2007....   (Associated Press)
Olympic Torch Relay, Day 32
Olympic Torch Relay, Day 32   (Getty Images)
Taiwan Olympic Committee Chairman Tsai Chen-wei, holds up a defunct agreement on the torch relay route for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games during a press conference, Friday, Sept. 21, 2007, in Taipei, Taiwan. In the conference, Tsai said the International Olympic Committee has cutoff the negotiations between China and Taiwan's...
Taiwan Olympic Committee Chairman Tsai Chen-wei, holds up a defunct agreement on the torch relay route for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games during a press conference, Friday, Sept. 21, 2007, in Taipei, Taiwan....   (Associated Press)
Yao Yingjia, Vice President of Lenovo Innovation Design Center shows the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch at the Lenovo Headquarters in Haidian District, Beijing in this Aug. 7, 2007 file photo. China on Friday condemned Taiwan's refusal to participate in the torch relay for next year's Beijing Summer Olympics, calling...
Yao Yingjia, Vice President of Lenovo Innovation Design Center shows the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch at the Lenovo Headquarters in Haidian District, Beijing in this Aug. 7, 2007 file photo. China...   (Associated Press)
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