Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee and
Sports Affairs Council, Executive Yuan Taiwan (Republic of China)
September 21, 2007
With the assistance of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC) of Taiwan and the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) have engaged in talks regarding arrangements for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Torch relay route through Taiwan for more than one month; the two sides, however, have failed to reach an agreement, thus making it impossible for the Torch to come to Taiwan. Our side wishes to express our deep regret over such a result.
On July 18, 2007, the IOC simultaneously sent letters to the CTOC and the BOCOG, expressing the hope that the CTOC and the BOCOG should reach an agreement on the Torch relay by August 15, 2007. On August 2, 2007, we sent a formal letter to the BOCOG suggesting that the two committees discuss relay route issues. The suggestion was accepted and talks began on August 11, 2007 in Beijing. With our request, the IOC agreed to extend the deadline of the negotiation till the end of August.
After various communications, the two sides reached an initial consensus on the Olympic Torch relay route at the end of August this year. According to this consensus, the BOCOG promises to abide by a 1989 agreement between the CTOC and the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC), and will no longer refer to the CTOC and Taiwan’s athletic delegation as “China Taipei” in Chinese moniker, but “Chinese Taipei.” Second, the BOCOG further confirms that Olympic Torch relay route through Taipei is overseas route, not China’s domestic route. Third, the BOCOG will no longer use the term of “area” in the expression of the overseas relay route, avoiding the implication of dwarfing Taiwan’s status. We, for our part, have agreed that, under the aforesaid conditions, the Olympic Torch will come to Taipei from Ho Chi Minh City and go onward from Taipei to Hong Kong.
Regrettably, however, after the two sides have reached a consensus on the Olympic Torch relay route, the BOCOG deliberately raised new conditions one day before the CTOC representative left for Beijing for signing the agreement. Beijing demanded that the following words “based on the four-point consensus reached on February 12, 2007 at the meeting of the two sides (attached)” should be incorporated into the text of the new memoir of the meeting. Our side has particular concerns on the fourth point, “When the Olympic Torch relay activities are held within the territory of the CTOC, the use of flags, emblems, and songs should be strictly enforced in accordance with the rules formulated by the IOC Executive Board. Simultaneously, the CTOC has the obligation to coordinate with related agencies to make a promise that flags, emblems, and songs that do not conform to the aforementioned regulations will not be used during the process of the Torch relay activities.” That is to say, any kind of flags, emblems and songs can not be displayed during the process of the Torch relay to Taiwan. For instance, our audience alongside the Torch relay route can not use our national flag, national emblem and national anthem.
With regard to the Olympic Torch relay runners within the territory of the CTOC, since the CTOC is a national Olympic committee of the IOC family members, it will surely abide by the IOC rules and protocols regarding the use of flags, emblems, and songs. However, the above-mentioned restrictions on audience alongside the Torch relay route are imposed by the BOCOG, which has no connection with the existing rules and protocols of the IOC.
In addition, it is likely that many Taiwanese people might want to use various kinds of flags, emblems and songs to enthusiastically welcome the Olympic Torch. Since Taiwan is a democratic country where the Taiwanese people enjoy full freedom of speech, our government cannot restrict our people from using any kind of flags, emblems and songs during the whole process of the Torch relay. Furthermore, our government will be unable to enforce the rules and many conflicts are likely to occur during the whole process of the Torch relay.
Although on February 12, 2007, the CTOC and the BOCOG signed a memoir of the meeting for the four-point consensus on the relay route, our side found subsequently that the BOCOG has not only evidently violated the agreement signed between the CTOC and the COC in 1989, but has also severely dwarfed Taiwan’s status. As such, when the Torch relay route was announced on April 26, 2007, our side immediately announced our disapproval of the BOCOG’s announcement of arrangements for the Olympic Torch relay route. Under such circumstances, the original agreement between the two sides no longer exists. On July 18, 2007, the IOC sent a letter to the CTOC, confirming that the original agreement between the two sides no longer exists. Therefore, the IOC urged both sides across the Taiwan Strait to conduct a new round of negotiations; otherwise, it will announce on August 15, 2007 that the Torch will not pass through the territory of the CTOC. Based on this stance, our side has shown active willingness to re-negotiate with the BOCOG, hoping that with our greatest sincerity and goodwill, we can smoothly reach a new bilateral consensus, so that the Olympic Torch can smoothly come to Taiwan.
Early August this year, the two sides resumed negotiations according to the IOC’s requests. As of August 29, 2007, the two sides have reached a new three-point consensus. During this period, the two sides have never through the exchange of letters mentioned the four-point consensus reached on February 12, 2007. Moreover, the version of the cross-strait consensus reached at the end of August this year was mainly proposed by Beijing; our side agreed, in principle, with our revision, with a view to reaching a cross-strait consensus within the deadline set by the IOC. Subsequently, our side briefed the IOC on the new three-point consensus between the two sides. As such, the IOC expressed praise and support for the new consensus.
On the afternoon of September 6, 2007, however, the BOCOG suddenly phoned our side intending to demand that the wording “the four-point consensus reached on February 12, 2007” be incorporated into the text of the new memoir of the meeting. Our side stated that we cannot accept such a demand because this is in essence a new issue. Our side reiterated to the BOCOG that the three-point consensus reached on August 29, 2007 between the two sides was not based on the foundation of the four-point consensus reached on February 12, 2007; the four-point consensus reached on February 12, 2007 has no longer existed, and our side has no willingness to re-confirm it either. Beijing’s new demand has finally resulted in the failure of the two sides to reach an agreement before the deadline set by the IOC. It is definitely confirmed that the 2008 Olympic Torch will not come to Taiwan. We would like to express our deep regret over such result.
Although the recent talks on the Olympic Torch relay have proven futile due to Beijing’s new demand in the last minute, we nevertheless wish to express our gratitude to the IOC for its help. As one of IOC members, we surely will actively participate in the competitions and related activities of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
We hope that China can contemplate from this dispute concerning the Olympic Torch relay arrangements: It should deal with all Olympic-related affairs in the Olympic spirit of peace, friendship, and parity; it should honor its agreements with Taiwan and adhere to Olympic protocol. Only then will it be possible for the Beijing Olympic Games to be conducted smoothly and successfully.