Mainland　denies　new　condition　for　Olympic　torch　relay　in　Tai

 Sept.　12　-　A　Chinese　mainland　official　on　Wednesday　denied　any　new　condition　had　been　added　in　discussions　with　Taiwan　over　the　route　of　the　2008　Olympic　torch　relay.　
　"As　far　as　I　know,　the　Organizing　Committee　for　the　Beijing　Olympic　Games　(BOCOG)　has　not　added　any　new　condition　regarding　the　Olympic　torch　relay　passing　through　Taiwan,"　said　Li　Weiyi,　spokesman　of　the　Taiwan　Affairs　Office　of　the　State　Council,　at　a　regular　press　conference.　
　Some　Taiwan　media　reported　that　the　mainland　had　added　a　new　condition　during　negotiations　that　the　flag　of　the　Taiwan　authority　should　not　be　displayed　while　the　torch　is　present　on　the　island.　
　"The　international　Olympic　Committee　has　clear　rules　on　how　to　deal　with　the　flag　issue　at　the　Games.　Anyone　can　take　it　for　granted　that　the　torch　relay　through　Taiwan　should　also　follow　these　rules,"　Li　said.　
　The　issue　was　included　in　the　consensus　reached　between　BOCOG　and　the　Chinese　Taipei　Olympic　Committee　(CTOC)　in　February　this　year,　he　said.　
　"We　still　hope　the　Taiwan　authority　can　take　into　account　the　true　expectations　of　the　people　that　the　Olympic　torch　can　be　carried　across　the　Taiwan　Straits　and　stop　creating　barriers　driven　by　politics,"　Li　said.　
　He　urged　the　Taiwan　authority　to　adopt　the　consensus　reached　in　February.　
　"BOCOG　and　CTOC　will　continue　talks　about　the　torch　relay,"　he　said.　
　BOCOG　announced　on　April　26　that　the　2008　Olympic　torch　relay　will　pass　through　135　cities　all　over　the　world.　The　planned　137,000-kilometer　route　includes　a　stop　at　Taipei　before　the　torch　arrives　in　Hong　Kong,　Macao　and　a　score　of　Chinese　mainland　cities.　
　The　relay　route　was　approved　by　the　International　Olympic　Committee　after　the　two　sides　across　the　Straits　reached　the　agreement.　
　But　some　of　Taiwan's　pro-independence　officials　immediately　rejected　the　route,　claiming　the　plan　"belittled"　Taiwan.