China Interferes With Taipei's Games Plan

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday September 5, 2008

Kirsty Needham Deputy Foreign Editor in Taipei

CHINA has stopped star basketballer Yao Ming - its biggest sporting celebrity - from appearing at a gala ceremony in Taipei today, to mark the one-year countdown to the Deaflympics in Taiwan, by refusing to issue travel documents in time.

Yao, who suffers hearing difficulties and had agreed to promote the International Olympic Committee's Games, was due to appear at a televised event at Taipei City Hall with Hong Kong movie stars Jackie Chan and Andy Lau, which is expected to draw a crowd of 10,000. The event is being held a day before the opening ceremony of the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing.

Taiwan regards the hosting of international sporting events as a key part of its strategy to raise its international profile in the diplomatic tussle with China, which does not recognise Taiwan as a separate country and has blocked its participation in organisations such as the United Nations and World Health Organisation.

"It's a very cherished opportunity for Taiwan to participate in an international event," Emile Sheng, chief executive of the Taiwan Deaflympics and a Taiwan city government official, said yesterday.

Mr Sheng said the committee had been told Yao was not able to attend because "the [Chinese] central government denied him permission to travel".

Although Yao plays for the Houston Rockets NBA team in the US he competed for China at this year's Olympics. Mr Sheng said: "When he reports back to the national team he reports back to the [Chinese] national government."

The Deaflympics organisers had been continuing to push throughout the week for Yao to but "yesterday we gave up", Mr Sheng said.

Organisers had been told Yao would be able to travel to Taiwan at some time in the future, he said.

Taiwan expects 40,000 athletes from 80 countries to attend the Games in 2009. However its their own athletes must march under the IOC flag and the name Chinese Taipei, rather than Taiwan or the Republic of China.

A new detente policy towards China being pursued by Taiwan's President, Ma Ying-Jeou, which has ushered in direct charter flights between the mainland and Taipei and loosened the restrictions on direct investments, has come under intense criticism in Taiwan.

Last Saturday tens of thousands of people marched in the capital to protest that such moves were too fast and risked Taiwan's sovereignty.

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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