Taipei backs China's Olympic bid, but has to consider co-hosting
Taipei backs China's Olympic bid, but has to consider co-hosting
TAIPEI (Agencies): Chinese Taipei gave its support Saturday to
China's bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, but said it is
too early to discuss Beijing's invitation to Taipei to co-host
the global sporting events.
"We'd like to see Beijing win the bid to host the 2008 Olympic
Games. As to Beijing's inviting us to co-host the Games, it's too
early to discuss it," said Chen Ming-tong, vice chairman of the
cabinet's Mainland Affairs Council.
Chen was responding to Friday's China Daily report which said
the Beijing 2008 Olympic Bid Committee was thinking seriously
about inviting Taipei to co-host the 2008 Olympic Games.
"The possibility of Beijing and Taipei co-hosting the Games
exists, and relevant departments are studying the situation," the
Beijing-based paper quoted a Bid Committee official as saying.
"If the 2008 Olympic Games are to be held in Beijing, some of
the mass events like soccer, baseball and basketball may be held
in Chinese cities including Shanghai and Guangzhou, but why not
Taipei?" the official told the daily.
The Taipei press said Beijing's hint that it will invite
Taiwan to co-host the 2008 Olympic Games is aimed at boosting
Beijing's chances of winning the bid.
Beijing, Paris, Toronto, Osaka and Istanbul are vying for the
chance to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will choose the
winner in July 2001 in Moscow.
Taipei and China split in 1949 after the Chinese Nationalist
government lost the civil war and fled to Taipei.
In Beijing, China will turn the capital city's historic
Tiananmen Square into a beach volleyball arena if it wins the
2008 Olympic Games, the mayor of the Chinese capital said
Saturday.
Mayor Liu Qi also told the official Xinhua news agency the
vast square would also see the triathlon pass through if China
was granted permission to stage the games.
On Wednesday the China Daily said officials were forced to act
after rival Paris said it would locate the glamour sport -- with
scantily-clad performers, thudding rock music and raucous
atmosphere -- next to the Eiffel Tower.