Posted on 08/05/2004 7:46:16 AM PDT by tallhappy
China complains about Taiwan-less map
China has lodged an official complaint with Japan after the Japanese football association left Taiwan off a map of China in its Asian Cup media guide, demanding it end "negative influences".
"The Chinese foreign ministry has lodged a complaint with the Japanese embassy to China over a Japanese Football Association mistake concerning Taiwan," the official Xinhua news agency said Thursday.
It said the ministry "urged Japan to correct the mistake and to eliminate negative influences".
The Chinese organising committee of the Asian Cup had also complained, it added.
It follows a formal Japanese complaint to the Chinese government Wednesday over the incessant booing of Japan's football team at matches here by Chinese fans incensed over Tokyo's war-time record.
While Japanese officials have admitted that the map, which shows mainland China coloured yellow but Taiwan in grey, had caused a "big problem" they said the situation had been smoothed over with Chinese officials.
"There was no political intention whatsoever," said Japan Football Association spokesman Hideto Teshima on Tuesday.
"The media guide was produced according to the FIFA directory. We talked to the Local Organising Committee and they understood our situation.
"It was a big problem but now it's over."
Chinese journalists had confronted Japan coach Zico about the map at a press conference ahead of their semi-final victory against Bahrain.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory despite their split more than 50 years ago at the end of a civil war and has threatened to invade the island if it moves towards formal independence.
I just submitted a paper on Chinese prison labor to an economics journal. Because I refer to a lot of Chinese provinces in the paper, I included a map of China. I had to search a long time on the Internet to get a political map (with province names) that didn't include Taiwan.
The Chinese need to lighten up.
China already has banned Taiwan from all world governing bodies and is bullying the entire world to break all relations.
In the 1950's, the Soviet Bloc refused to play Taiwan at the World Basketball Championships, and they were demoted. Now, Taiwan can't establish Olympic teams or have their flag or anthem on the venue. It is the only nation with such a ban. That's the danger of the power of the ChiComs.
It would help. Unfortunately all they know is bully and bluster.
They weren't bullies until Clinton gave them our missile technology.
I am really beginning to think that Taiwan is China's dong. They cherish it, stroke it, and threaten to beat it.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory despite their split more than 50 years ago at the end of a civil war and has threatened to invade the island if it moves towards formal independence.Nice spin. A real squirt in the eye to the Maoist/single party state/dictatorship.
I hope he means Japan re-annexed it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.