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Taiwan pulls out stops for games China snubs World Games opening
(about 9 hours later)
A sporting event that bills itself as an alternative to the Olympic Games is opening in Taiwan. China has boycotted the opening ceremony of the World Games in Taiwan, an official with the games has said.
Known as the World Games, this event is for the 31 sports that did not make it into the Olympics - such as water skiing, canoe polo and tug-of-war. A spokesman for the games, Hermann Kewitz, said China had not given an explanation but said that Chinese athletes would compete in the events.
More than 3,000 athletes from 91 countries are taking part. Beijing's decision came after organisers allowed Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou to open the games.
For Taiwan, the Games are not just about sports - they are a rare opportunity for the island to emerge from the shadow of China. Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province and does not recognise Mr Ma as its president.
Taiwan has pulled out all the stops to host the Games in its second largest city Kaohsiung. Mr Kewitz said the International World Games Association had made a last-minute decision to allow Mr Ma to open the games in recognition of the effort Taiwan had made as host nation - including spending millions of dollars on building and renovating venues.
It has spent about $225 million, partly to build a state-of-the-art solar-powered stadium. Olympics alternative
It has also launched a major campaign to eradicate mosquitoes. Taiwan has been self-governing since the end of China's civil war in 1949, when the Communist party took power on the mainland.
And it is wooing tourists from China. China insists that nations cannot have official relations with both China and Taiwan, with the result that Taiwan has formal diplomatic ties with only about two dozen countries - most of them in the Pacific, South America and Africa.
Separated from China since the end of a civil war in 1949, Taiwan rarely gets to host major international events, largely due to tensions with China. China bars Taiwan from hosting or attending international events as a sovereign nation. Taiwan usually participates in such events under the name Chinese Taipei instead of its official name, Republic of China.
Handling China Relations with China have improved significantly in the past year, since Mr Ma took office. This is the first sign of the lingering political tensions, despite a number of unprecedented trade and transportation deals, says the BBC's Cindy Sui in Taiwan's capital, Taipei.
Relations with China have improved significantly over the past year and organisers are doing everything they can to make sure they stay that way during the Games. The World Games bills itself as an alternative to the Olympics.
One of the organisers, Chu Ting-shan, said they had even trained local spectators to cheer politely for Taiwan's teams, especially when they are competing against China. It features the 31 sports that did not make it into the Olympics - such as water skiing, canoe polo and tug-of-war. More than 3,000 athletes from 91 countries are taking part in the events in Taiwan's second-largest city, Kaohsiung.
"The organizing committee, we are very cautious about the consequences if something happens. We are very careful about it, so there will be more security installed for Chinese athletes," Ms Chu said. Despite cheap ticket prices, sales have been poor, with organisers blaming the economic downturn.
"And if some people do have a particular feeling about Chinese athletes, we do have our police manpower, we do have our security things set up, but … how should I say, I think it's also their right to express their patriotism, it's also their right to express their feeling towards something," she added.
Taiwan has spent far more on the Games than previous hosts and the tickets are cheaper.
But despite this, only about half of the 350,000 tickets have been sold.
Organisers are blaming the economic downturn and are planning to bring in school students to fill the seats.
In a last ditch effort to sell more tickets, the city will put the tickets into a prize draw and the winners will get an apartment or a car.