Chinese crowds are cheering hopefuls from Taiwan at the Beijing Olympics, giving athletes from the disputed island the tricky task of soaking up the applause and handling political sensitivities.
China calls Taiwan a breakaway province that must accept eventual reunification and insists the democratically governed island appear at the Olympic Games as “Chinese Taipei.”
But each time Taiwan’s Lu Ying-chi appeared on stage at the 63 kg women’s weightlifting on Tuesday she was greeted with a torrent of applause and cheers that appeared to help her on her way to a bronze medal.
Some of the Chinese crowd applauding the crop-haired Taiwanese contender said it was “natural” to do so.
“I don’t think she’s as strong as the Kazakh woman. But Taiwan is a part of China, so if she wins gold that also counts as ours,” said Li Rufeng, a retired factory manager from northeast China, speaking before the results were decided.
Lu finished behind Irina Nekrassova of Kazakhstan and gold medallist Pak Hyon Suk of North Korea.
Du Hong, a Beijing resident at the event, said the local crowds wanted to show Taiwanese that they are “welcome back to the motherland.”
“The Olympics are all about unity among people, and that includes unity between the mainland and Taiwan,” she said, clutching the hand of her daughter waving the red Chinese flag.
Lu smiled broadly before the crowds but later appeared reluctant to discuss the cheering.
“That’s too sensitive. I don’t know about that,” she said when asked by Reuters whether the loud support had lifted her performance.
Taiwan’s athletes must tread carefully between the mainland embrace and their home island’s proud distinctiveness.
Beijing has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since the Nationalists under Chiang Kai-shek fled there in 1949 after losing the civil war against Mao Zedong and his Communist Party.
Relations between the two sides have warmed under Taiwan’s new President Ma Ying-jeou. But Taiwan’s formal name, the Republic of China, and other official trappings are barred from the Olympics.

from: guardian.co.uk

George W Bush used a speech given on the eve of the opening of the Beijing Olympics to call on the Chinese government to respect the human rights of its people.

“America stands in firm opposition to China’s detention of political dissidents and human rights advocates and religious activists,” Mr Bush said in Bangkok in what was almost certainly his last major policy address in Asia.
Given before setting off for Beijing, where he will attend the Games’ opening ceremony, the speech was intended to balance the very public symbol of support for Beijing that his presence will provide.
“We press for openness and justice not to impose our beliefs, but to allow the Chinese people to express theirs,” he said.
Mr Bush was one of the first world leaders to say he would attend the Games, and has resisted calls for any boycott over human rights, China’s rule over Tibet or its support for the Sudanese government. He has said the Games are a sporting spectacle.
On what is the last Asian tour of his presidency, he has been keen to shore up key American allies in troubled times. The right-wing President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea, his first stop, has so far proved unpopular since taking office in February, while democracy in Thailand is deeply embattled.
Mr Bush was careful to balance his praise of democratic Asian nations and his rebuke to China for not following suit with enthusiasm for the material progress that China has made in recent decades. When he first came to China in 1975, he said, where his father George Bush senior was head of the American liaison office in Beijing, it was a poor city with few cars and most people dressed identically.
Now it was increasingly prosperous, and its young people, as they grew used to trading goods, would press for greater freedom to trade ideas.
“Change in China will arrive on its own terms and in keeping with its own history and its own traditions,” he said. “Yet change will arrive.
“And it will be clear for all to see that those who aspire to speak their conscience and worship their God are no threat to the future of China. They are the people who will make China a great nation in the 21st century.”
The authorities in Beijing will reject Mr Bush’s message, and have already attacked his decision to meet five Chinese dissidents and religious activists in Washington before setting off for Asia.
But their reaction will be tempered by the decision by the White House not to “spoil the show” by making a critical speech in China itself. Mr Bush will however make a symbolic gesture of support for China’s Christian community by attending a protestant church on Sunday in Beijing, albeit one that is part of the state-backed official church.
A request for him to attend a “house church” - illegal because not approved by the official church - was turned down.

from: telegraph.co.uk

Japan hopes to match its excellent showing from Athens at the Beijing Olympics, with chef de mission Tomiaki Fukuda giving a competitive outlook on Wednesday.

“We are likely to win 10-20 gold medals in Beijing. (But) the results remain unknown until you try,” he said.

Japan have a 339-strong team at the August 8-24 Games, led by 200m breaststroke world record holder Kosuke Kitajima.

“He is very competitive and likely to win the gold medal. He is also likely to break the record again,” Fukuda said.

Apart from swimming, the official said that Japanese athletes can medal in synchronized swimming, baseball, judo, gymnastics, athletics and wrestling.

Japan came a strong fifth in the medal standings at the 2004 Games in Athens with 16 gold medals, nine silver and 12 bronze.

Olympic supremo Jacques Rogge mentioned the country as part of “an awakening of Asia” at the time along with China, South Korea and Thailand. Rogge said last week he expected a similar trend in Beijing.

But American magazine Sports Illustrated, in its famous forecast, saw Japan drop to 11th place with an 8-8-12 result.

from: bangkokpost.com

Foreign and local protesters who want to speak out against the Beijing Olympics are required to apply five days in advance, and not harm “national interests,” the security chief for the Olympic organizing committee said.

Accused of repressing dissent, China recently said it would allow officially approved demonstrations to be held at three parks in the capital.

Liu Shaowu, security chief for the Beijing Organizing Committee, detailed the steps necessary on a statement posted on the official Olympics news Web site Saturday, but warned that China has a broad ban against gatherings deemed “harmful” to national interests.

“Assembling to march and protest is a citizen’s right. But it must be stressed that when exercising this right, citizens must respect and not harm others’ freedoms and rights and must not harm national, social and collective interests,” Liu said in the statement.

Chinese citizens must turn in a written application to police while foreigners must submit an application to the border entry-exit administration.

Police will inform applicants whether they received approval at the latest two days before the protest, he said. If they don’t hear from the police, that can be taken as approval, Liu said.

China has always been wary of protests of any kind. But the government apparently agreed in hopes of blunting criticism that the Summer Games allowed for no public protests. The protest areas are in public parks several miles from the main Olympic stadium.

Tightened visa checks have prevented or deterred foreign groups like the Committee to Protect Journalists from coming to Beijing, although Dream for Darfur said its visa application was pending.

Overseas broadcasters, such as NBC which paid hundreds of millions of dollars to air the games, are still wrangling with organizers over restrictions on live coverage around the city.

source: ap.google.com

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said here on Tuesday that sporting events should not be exploited for political ends.
Speaking at a joint press conference with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Frattini said the Olympics “are and will be a major sporting event which should not be mingled with politics.”
“A boycott is unacceptable because sports must be kept separate from politics,” he said.
Yang Jiechi, who is on a three-nation tour to Europe, held talks with his Italian counterpart before the press conference.
Both sides agreed to maintain high-level contacts between the two countries, enhance cooperation in dealing with international affairs, further strategic consultation, promote economic and trade ties and strengthen judicial cooperation.

from: xinhuanet.com

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi here on Thursday that he opposed any action to mingle the Olympics with politics.
Ban stated, during his meeting with Wang Yi, special envoy of Chinese President Hu Jintao, at the sideline of the UN Security Council high-level meeting on peace and security in Africa that the United Nations and he himself spare no effort in supporting the Beijing Olympics.
With the support of the Chinese government and Chinese people, the Olympic Games to be held in Beijing will be successful, and will serve as a platform for promoting world peace, harmony and cooperation as well as the mutual understanding of people from different countries, the UN chief said.
Wang said Beijing Olympics is highly expected not only by the Chinese people, but also by people all over the world.
He stressed that any attempt to sabotage the grand sport gala goes against the will of the majority of the international community.
Wang believed that the Beijing Olympic Games will be of great success.
Ban also discussed with Wang the cooperation between China and the United Nations, the issue of Darfur, the situation in Myanmar and the issue of non-proliferation on Korean Peninsula.

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge on Tuesday condemned violent protests that target the Beijing Olympic torch relay, saying violence is by no means acceptable.
“The IOC definitely wants and wishes for the Olympic flame to be respected, because it is a very important symbol that unites people,” Rogge told Chinese reporters.
“We respect people who want to protest. This is the freedom of speech, freedom of expression. However, if you want to protest, it has to be peaceful,” added the IOC chief.
Despite disruptions by a few Tibetan separatists and their supporters during the London and Paris legs of the Olympic torch relay, there will be no change in the itinerary which includes carrying the flame to the highest peak on Earth, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) said.
The flame was lit in Olympia, Greece, on March 24 and is being relayed through 21 cities outside the Chinese mainland before being carried into the opening ceremony on August 8.

from: chinadaily.com.cn 

A Beijing Olympic official has strongly condemned the disruption of the Olympic torch relay in Paris by a very small number of “Tibet independence” secessionists and a handful of so-called human rights-minded NGO activists.
A spokesman of the Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee said on Monday that the serious incident clearly showed that “Tibet independence” secessionists have been disrupting and sabotaging the Beijing Olympic Games in a planned, premeditate and organized way.
What the separatists have been doing are far from “peaceful” demonstrations, but attempts to foil the smooth relay of the Beijing Olympic torch through violent means, and has thus blasphemed the Olympic spirit, he said.
France is the hometown of Pierre De Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, said the spokesman. The large number of Paris residents turning out to welcome the Olympic sacred flame showed that the flame belongs to the people of the whole world.
The “Tibet independence” separatists’ malicious and open challenge of the Olympic spirit and the Olympic Charter has proved unpopular and is bound to fail, he said.
The Beijing Olympic Games is not only a grand event for the Chinese people, but also for people all over the world. It bears great significance for glorifying the Olympic spirit, spreading the Olympic culture and promoting the development of the Olympic Games, said the official, adding that the Beijing Olympic torch relay will surely win wide support from all peace-loving people across the world, and will not be thwarted by any force.

from: xinhuanet.com 

More countries have voiced their opposition to the boycott of Beijing Olympics.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Tuesday that the Olympic Games are an important sporting occasion and is of great significance to the world.
He confirmed he will represent Britain at the Beijing Olympics and will be present at the welcoming ceremony when the Beijing Olympic flame arrives in London on Sunday.
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said his government opposes a boycott of the Beijing Olympic Games and representatives of Denmark’s royal family and government will attend the event in August.
“Sports must not be confused with politics,” he said, adding that Denmark should send official delegates to Beijing in support of its athletes’ participation in the Olympics.
Earlier, Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller told reporters when attending a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Slovenia that it is wrong to threaten to boycott the Olympics and a boycott will deeply hurt the Chinese people.
Last Friday, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said a boycott of Beijing Olympics is pointless. According to Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic’s spokesman Marek Trubac, the president believes sport has to tie not to divide and a boycott will only hurt athletes.
Also last Friday, Miguel Angel Moratinos, Spanish minister of foreign affairs and cooperation said that his country will be present at the Beijing Olympics in August.
“The Olympic Games are the best platform to eliminate controversies and crises and to start dialogue and so we shouldn’t be boycotting them,” he told reporters in EU foreign ministers meeting in Slovenia, noting that Spain is not in favor of a boycott.
Last Wednesday, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said he does not believe “a boycott of the Olympics is a sensible or the right thing to do,” and his country will not boycott the Beijing Olympics.
He added that the Olympics should be used to facilitate China’s engagement with other countries. The Olympics are a chance to put the spotlight on China but also to enhance China’s engagement with the international community, he said.

from: xinhuanet.com 

Most people in France believe their country should attend the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, according to a poll by Ifop published in L’Equipe. 60 per cent of respondents think France should not boycott the games to protest China’s human rights record and recent events in Tibet.
In 1949, the People’s Republic of China was established as a one-party state. In the 1980s, the ruling Communist Party of China (ZGD) loosened a series of authoritarian restrictions and allowed private enterprise for the first time in decades. The country currently has one of the world’s fastest growing economies, becoming a global exporter and a very attractive venue for foreign investors.
China’s human rights record has remained a concern. Several campaigners claim the communist regime continues to torture and execute people. The country’s rule over Tibet has also been a point of contention.
Earlier this month, Reporters Without Borders called on heads of state and governments to boycott the opening ceremonies of this year’s Olympic Games as a way to underline China’s poor treatment of human rights. Former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin agrees with the idea, and has called on French president Nicolas Sarkozy to second it. 54 per cent of respondents would agree with French leaders boycotting the opening ceremony of the games.
On Mar. 25, French swimmer Alain Bernard discussed his views, saying, “Boycott the opening ceremony, why not? It would be a huge message from the politicians. Boycotting is a very delicate question. As a sportsman, we will have an important role to play because what we are going to produce there, our results, will attract the eyes of the world. After that side of things, boycotting becomes a political decision. It is very delicate for us.”
Also on Mar. 25, Daniel Bilalian, director of sports at France Televisions, said the network may boycott coverage of the Beijing Olympics if China bans the broadcast of footage from demonstrations against the games.

Polling Data

Due to China’s human rights record and recent events in Tibet, there have been some discussions about boycotting the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Should France boycott the Beijing 2008 Olympics?

Yes 39%
No 60%
Not sure 1%

If France takes part in the Beijing 2008 Olympics, do you think French leaders should boycott the opening ceremony?

Yes 54%
No 45%
Not sure 1%

Source: Ifop / L’Equipe
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,007 French adults, conducted on Mar. 20 and Mar. 21, 2008. No margin of error was provided.
from: angus-reid.com

Commenting on French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s comment that “all options are open” regarding an Olympics boycott, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman says the world should follow the Olympic spirit and not politicize the Games.
Spokesman Qin Gang said Wednesday afternoon that the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is a grand event not only for the Chinese people, but also people across the whole world. China hopes to enhance understanding, friendship and cooperation with the world through this sports event.

“We believe that the Beijing Olympic Games will certainly achieve success with the support of the world people,” he said.
from: news.xinhuanet.com

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said here Wednesday a boycott of the Beijing Olympics was not a sensible thing to do.
“I don’t believe a boycott of the Olympics is a sensible or the right thing to do,” Smith told ABC Radio.
The Olympics should be used to promote China rather than attack it, he said.
“I think we should use the Olympics as part of China’s engagement with the international community.”
“The Olympics is a chance to put the spotlight on China but also to enhance China’s engagement with the international community,” he said.
“In the past, boycotts of the Olympics in my view have not been successful, whether Australia is engaged in that as it did with the Moscow Olympics or when other nation states have engaged in it, ” the minister said.

from: chinadaily.com.cn

Tibetan sports authorities have pledged to take security measures to protect the Beijing Olympic Games torch relay against sabotage by supporters of the Dalai clique.

The leading team of the relay will closely work with relevant departments to ensure security and prevent disturbances and sabotage, according to a report published in the Tibet Daily on Monday.
Under the guidance of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), the leading team, comprised of seven working departments, worked out the route and agenda for the relay, selected torchbearers and improved working procedures, an unidentified sports official of the Tibet Autonomous Region in China’s remote southwest told the newspaper.

Preparation for the relay in Tibet and taking the Olympic flame to the summit of Mount Qomolangma (Everest) is proceeding in an orderly way, the report said.

After the Olympic flame-lighting ceremony, which is scheduled to be held later on Monday in Greece, the flame will traverse Greece for six days before it is handed over to BOCOG on March 30 in Athens.

The global tour of the Olympic flame will begin on April 1, covering 137,000 kilometers across 135 cities in 130 days before the torch arrives at the National Stadium in Beijing on August 8 for the opening ceremony.

The highlight of the relay, which involves 21,780 torchbearers, will be an attempt to take the flame to the summit of Mount Qomolangma in May.

However, the unrest in Lhasa, believed to have been organized and masterminded by the Dalai Lama clique, has raised concern over the security of the torch relay.

from: chinadaily.com.cn