Time runs out for Taiwan to host 2008 events

Time has run out for self-governed Taiwan to host any events at the 2008 Olympic Games, a top Beijing organiser said.

Beijing offered to run events on the island early in its preparations for the 2008 Summer Games and in May said they wanted the Olympic flame to take in Taiwan on its route to the Chinese capital.

Asked whether Taiwan would see any Olympic action Liu Jingmin, executive vice president of the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games, told Reuters: "That's impossible. We only have three years to go."

"The Olympic charter says events must be held in the host city except for special reasons," he added.

In July, it was decided that the equestrian events for the 2008 Games should be moved to Hong Kong because of what Beijing officials described as "uncertainties of equine diseases and major difficulties in establishing a disease-free zone".

Liu said the torch relay plan was still under discussion and did not have to be set until it was turned over to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) late next year.

The mainland and Taiwan have been politically separate for 55 years but Beijing considers the island a rebel province and has vowed to unite it with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Taiwan competes separately from China under the name Chinese Taipei at the Olympics.

With the equestrian hurdle cleared, Beijing organisers are racing ahead with their drive to be ready well ahead of the August 8 start of the 2008 Games.

Liu said the city had begun construction on eight of 11 new Olympic venues and the remaining three, all relatively small and located on university campuses, would begin in September.

"As long as there are no big surprises, all construction will be completed on time," he said.

Beijing has promised to have its venues completed by the end of 2007 for pre-Games trials.

By the time the Games begin the city expects to have spent as much as $40 billion on areas such as reducing pollution environment and road congestion as well as on expanding its subway and power systems.

Beijing raised the original $1.625 billion Olympic operating budget to closer to $2 billion due in part to security concerns after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US.

Since the July bombings that killed more than 50 people in the 2012 Olympic host city London, Chinese authorities have talked about upgrading security but Liu said he foresaw no changes to that part of the budget.

"Compared with much of the world, Beijing is a relatively safe city," he said. "So we're very confident we can hold a safe and secure Games in 2008."

Plans allow for more expenditure should it be necessary, Liu said.

"Before the Olympics begin, there may be another adjustment of the budget. Our marketing programme is going very well, so the budget problem will not be a big one for Beijing."