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.