Houston Community News >> Taiwan to Hold Meeting to Discuss Yao Ming's Visit
8/25/2007-- Taiwan's government
agencies will hold a second meeting to review a plan for Yao Ming, center for
the NBA's Houston Rockets, to visit next month for a charity luncheon, the
island's Mainland Affairs Council said Saturday. Taiwan government
agencies last week called a meeting to review the application and decided to ask
Taiwan Basketball Association, which had submitted it, to provide "further
details" on the basketball player and the purpose of his trip, Liu Te-Shun, vice
chairman at the council, said Saturday in a telephone interview.
Liu denied a China Times report earlier Saturday, citing Taiwan Basketball
Association Deputy Secretary-General Wang Jen- sheng, saying the council had
verbally informed the association the government decided to reject the
application.
"We didn't see all the details and information needed to make a decision," Liu
said. "We will hold another meeting after the association has submitted
materials as asked."
Yao, who is from China, was scheduled to arrive on Sept. 7, and planned to raise
US$200,000 for the island's charity groups, the Taipei-based Chinese-language
newspaper reported. Calls made to mobile phone of basketball association's Wang
were not answered.
"The association should refrain from speaking on the matter before the
government has made its decision," Liu said.
Taiwan and China have been ruled separately since 1949, when communist troops
took control of the mainland. China has threatened to invade Taiwan if the
island declares independence.
Contributed by China Post