BEIJING, China, September 21. DUE to an inability of Chinese Taipei to agree to terms with the Organizing Committee for the Beijing Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee has announced that the Torch Relay for the 2008 Olympics will not involve any Taiwanese individuals. Tsai Chen-wein, of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee, told the Beijing organizing group that it would no longer discuss the possibility of being involved in the torch movement.
"The Taiwan authorities have violated the regulations of the 'Olympic Charter' and taken the opportunity to promote political propaganda," said a spokesman for the BOCOG. "The Taiwan authorities set up barriers over the agreed route of torch relay, which directly resulted in the abortion of the plan."
China and Taiwan have been separated since 1949, but China has not allowed Taiwan to seek independence, threatening to use force if such a move ever developed.