Hsu to appear in Hiroshima as CTOC guest

Hsu to appear in Hiroshima as CTOC guest

HIROSHIMA, Japan (Agencies): Organizers of the Hiroshima Asian Games said yesterday that Taiwanese Vice Premier Hsu Li-teh has been granted an ID card as a guest of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC).

Touching on a row over Hsu's planned attendance to the games, Takayoshi Fukushima, secretary general of the Hiroshima Asian Games Organizing Committee (HAGOC), said, "Each national Olympic committee is allowed to invite up to three persons to the games."

"We issued an ID to Hsu because the CTOC listed his name as a guest. There are many political figures invited to the Asiad as guests of national Olympic committees," he added.

Guests invited by national Olympic committees, including Iranian Roads and Transport Minister Ali Akbar Torkan and Kazakh State Minister Vladimir Shumov, are slated to appear during the Oct. 2-16 games.

But Fukushima, who also serves as a deputy mayor of Hiroshima, said, "No politicians will be included among the field of 40 guests invited by the Olympic Council of Asia to Hiroshima."

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) charter says its president is allowed to invite as many as 40 guests to the Asiad.

OCA President Ahmad Al-Fahad sent an invitation to Taiwan's President Lee Teng-hui to the games, but the OCA earlier this month issued a statement saying "no political" figures would be invited to the Asiad.

Referring to his Wednesday night meeting with Wei Jizhong, China's deputy delegation leader, Fukushima said, "Although there was a gap between our views on the matter, we both agreed to make the upcoming games successful.

"Wei did not make any protest to us, but he said he would not be satisfied with a planned visit by Hsu," Fukushima said.

According to Fukushima, a meeting with Wei is slated for later in the day but time and place are yet to be decided.

Wei has opposed Hsu's appearance in Hiroshima, saying, "The OCA announced no political figures would be invited to the games, and HAGOC is only an organizing body so the organizers should follow the OCA."

2002 Games

Taiwan's Asian Games delegation chief defended the intended visit of his country's vice premier in the face of sharp Chinese opposition yesterday.

Mission chief Lin Jzy-chin said Hsu Li-teh was not coming to Hiroshima in any political capacity.

"He is coming as a member of the committee to inspect the facilities as part of Taiwan's bid to host the Asian Games in 2002," Lin said. "It would be a great pity if China opposed that bid."

China has already succeeded in having the Olympic Council of Asia revoke an invitation to Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui.

And Foreign ministry spokesman Chen Jian indicated at a news briefing in Beijing that Japan could be damaging its chances of becoming a permanent member of the United Nations' Security Council by letting in Hsu.