The flame for China's 12th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities was lit on Wednesday in the host city of Sanya in the southern island province of Hainan, signaling the start of a weeks-long torch relay journey across the country.
The torch was drawn together from three flames symbolizing 'ecology', 'science and technology', and 'hope', which converged in Sanya City in late September after they were collected respectively from the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, the scientific research vessel Exploration-2, and the Nanfan Breeding Research Center.
The torch relay began with Xu Hongzhou, a marine research expert, lighting the first flame-holder, and passing it along amidst loud cheers from the crowd.
"As a representative of deep-sea technology, I feel very proud to spread the flame of science and technology. I wish the country's 56 ethnic groups can unite and strive together as we set sail for a new journey," said Xu.
A total of 12 torchbearers from various walks of life participated in the first leg of the relay in Sanya. The ceremonial event was marked by a series of performances highlighting China's rich multi-ethnic culture and traditions.
The Games, which are set to be staged in Sanya from November 22-30, will feature 18 competition events and 170 performance events, encompassing traditional items such as ethnic martial arts and dragon boat racing, as well as lesser-known sports like bamboo drifting, pearl ball, and an ethnic swinging sport known as Qiu Qian.
Coconut tree climbing has also been included this year for the first time, owing to the tropical location offered by Sanya. The equestrian events were held in advance in July in the Zhaosu County of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
With close to 7,000 athletes taking part, and more than 8,600 volunteers involved, preparations for the Games are now in the final phase.
"The Games' opening ceremony will be a collective display of the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation. Currently, the organization work is nearly complete. All these events are outstanding ethnic folk sports with a long history and shared by all ethnic groups. Through this Games, we aim to promote interaction, communication, and integration among athletes from various ethnic groups, thus consolidating and developing the great unity of the Chinese nation," said Zhang Jianhui, deputy director of the cultural publicity department of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, one of the event organizers.
Torch relay for National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities gets underway in Sanya
Torch relay for National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities gets underway in Sanya
The recent remarks by the Taiwan region's leader Lai Ching-te are a blatant attempt to separate Taiwan from China but such efforts are doomed to fail as the overwhelming majority of countries in the world fully recognize the one-China principle, said Victor Gao, chair professor of Soochow University in east China's Suzhou City.
Lai stepped up his separatist rhetoric at an event in Taipei last Saturday during the Chinese mainland's National Day holiday by alleging that Taiwan is already a "sovereign and independent country", whose "government" ruled the Chinese mainland for decades before relocating to Taiwan.
In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday that Lai's speech deliberately sought to sever the historical ties between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, once again exposing his stubborn "Taiwan independence" separatist stance and his ill intention to heighten cross-Strait tensions for selfish political interests.
In a phone interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) on Thursday, Gao said the spokeswoman's response to Lai's separatist rhetoric was very solemnly made and refuted the absurd narratives preached by Lai.
Gao cited the one-China principle, which stipulates there is only one China in the world, that Taiwan is part of China, and that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and noted this observed by the United Nations and by the majority of countries around the world.
"In essence, what Lai Ching-te has been doing is to advocate two 'countries' on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. He claimed that the People's Republic of China has never subjugated Taiwan to its rule in complete denial of the fact that the overwhelming majority of the countries in the world, the United Nations, and all the international organizations fully recognize the one-China policy. This is a blatant push for the real separatism of Taiwan," said Gao.
He warned that Lai's dangerous remarks could bring catastrophic consequences to cross-Strait relations.
"More and more people in Taiwan now realize the risks created by positions that are preached by Lai Ching-te, and they want to call on this local leader in Taiwan to really come back to his senses. There is only one China after all. While you are in Taiwan, you can call yourself 'Taiwanese', but a 'Taiwanese' is also a Chinese," said the expert.
Gao further stressed that more than 180 out of the 193 U.N. member states recognize the one-China principle, and urged some hostile forces in the United States to stop abetting Lai's separatist stance.
"The government of the United States still persists in this one-China policy, even though they are trying to hollow out the one-China policy. In a sense, I think people like Lai Ching-te, who are becoming die-hard separatists [and] try to split China, have been aided and abetted by some hostile forces in the United States. And I hope the majority of the countries in the world or the great majority of mankind will realize that, and the one-China policy will prevail," said Gao.
Lai Ching-te's remarks blatant push for Taiwan separatism: expert
