It's a small storm in a tea cup : Taiwan deputy FM

Deputy Foreign Minister Andrew Hsia told The Nation in an exclusive interview on Friday that he hopes China, as host of the summer games, would understand the sentiment of the 23-million Taiwanese.

"Given the improvement of Taiwan-China ties, I don't think China would hurt the hearts of the Taiwanese," he said.

"It is a small storm in a tea cup," he said reiterating that it would not affect the Taiwan-China relations. He also said there are positive signs from Beijing but somehow the mammoth Chinese bureaucracy has been unable to follow-up and implement update information.

After Ma Yingjeou was elected the island's new president two months ago, the bilateral ties have improved dramatically with charter flights and increased tourists from the mailand. "We are watching carefully signals from Beijing about the improvement of our relationships," he said hoping that Beijing would not do anything to cunter the present spirit of improving cross-strait relations.

Taiwan has been using the name "Zhonghua Taibe" or Chinese Taipei at the Olympics and at many other international sports events for two decades including the well-known Asia Pacific Economic Cooperatio since 1981, followed an agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The controversy began to emerge when the Chinese media have been using "Zhonggua Taibe" or "Taipei, China," which to Taiwan it means that Taipei is part of mainland China.

According to the agreement, China must use Chinese Taipei within the games. However, when it is outside the framework of IOC then it is totally depending on China's usage. China has used this term before but without controversy.

Taiwan is dispatching a 80-member team to compete in the games. In the previous Olympic in Athens, Taiwan won two golden and silver as well as one bronze medals in tae-kwon-do and archeries. Taiwan baseball team also hopes it would win big as it has one of the best teams in the world. Baseball will appear in Beijing Games as an official event for the last time.

Hsia expressed hope that improved Taiwan-China ties would widen the space for Taiwan to develop ties with the international community including Asean without jeopardizing the one-China policy that Beijing holds dear. "I hope Taiwan can develop the track-two  ties with Asean," he said.

Taiwan is one considered one of the biggest investors in Asean, especially in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia. But the relations are limited to non-political matters, mainly economic and trade. "We want more dialogue with Asean," Hsia added.

The island nation has repeatedly sought a status either of a sectoral and a full dialogue partner status with Asean but it was rejected outright by Asean, who considers China as the only partner. Attempts to join World Health Organization was repeatedly blocked by China which considers Taiwan as a renegade province.

Hsia said he would like to invite Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan to visit Taiwan.