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However, they have also been misused as a venue for political struggle. The most recent example of this is the conflict between Beijing and Taipei over the route of the Olympic torch ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games.
Last month, when the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee announced the route the torch would take on its way to Beijing, the Taiwan government immediately rejected the plan for the torch to pass through Taipei on its way to Hong Kong, Macau and other Chinese cities.
Beijing, of course, planned the torch route based on its "one China" political concept. The committee placed Taipei between Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Hong Kong -- a move which it considered enough of a compromise, as it could be viewed either as the last foreign stop or the first domestic stop.
Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party wanted a more clear arrangement, however. They insisted the torch should enter and leave Taiwan from non-Chinese cities, making it clear that they were not part of the domestic route.
The DPP government cannot lower its political vigilance. It cannot allow the Beijing government to take advantage of its position as Olympic host to strengthen its assertion of sovereignty over Taiwan. On the other hand, Beijing certainly will not approve a route that separates Taipei from China. Therefore, it appears that the 2008 Olympic torch will not enter Taiwan at all.
The torch does not have to pass through each of the participating countries, so even if it does not go to Taipei, Taiwan can still join the games. However, it is ironic that even in this arena of peaceful athletic competition Taiwan is not free of pressure from China.
The Olympics have provided an ongoing opportunity for China to humiliate Taiwan. Since 1979 the Olympic Committee, bowing to China's pressure, has forced Taiwan's teams to compete under the banner of "Chinese Taipei" rather than Taiwan's official name, the Republic of China. In English both sides have agreed to this term, but in Chinese, Beijing uses a term that means "China Taipei" while Taiwan sticks to "Chinese Taipei," which can refer to a race of people rather than a political sovereignty.
Also, during the games, the national flags of the top three winners are raised, and the gold medal winner's national anthem is played. However, in the case of Taiwan, the Republic of China has been asked to replace its national flag and national anthem with a special Olympic Games flag and "national flag song." So even if a Taiwanese athlete wins the gold medal, his or her national anthem will not be played.
Politics represent the highest level of interaction between human communities. As long as the cross-straits political conflict continues -- whether seen as a conflict between parts of one country or two countries -- the dispute will continue on the sports field.
China has used the Olympic Games as a political weapon in its attempt to crush its much smaller opponent under diplomatic pressure, while Taiwan strives for survival and dignity. Unfortunately, the inability of Beijing and Taipei to find a solution to the Olympic torch problem means that once again political conflict has trumped peaceful cooperation.
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(Dr. Chang Chuan-fong is Asia director of the International Educational Foundation, based in Macau, China, and former associate professor in the Department of Education at Minghsin University of Science and Technology, Taiwan. @Copyright Chang Chuan-fong.)
