A top sports official on the Chinese mainland has said that the mainland will "try its utmost" to include Taiwan in the torch relay itinerary of the 2008 Beijing summer Olympic Games.

"We are holding active consultations with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) about how to let the people in Taiwan share the Olympic glory," said Liu Peng, head of the State General Administration of Sport, on the sideline of the ongoing annual full session of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC), the Chinese legislature.

"As I know, many people in Taiwan hope that the torch relay of the sacred flame of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games can also cover Taiwan," Liu told the NPC deputies representing Taiwan Province during a panel discussion.

However, he said that the exact route of the 2008 Olympic torch relay is not finalized yet, and the final plan still needs to be approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

"The 2008 Games is a grand event for people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. There are many other things we can do in terms of cross-Straits cooperation (for the Games)," said Liu.

The BOCOG said last month that the Beijing Olympics' torch relay was expected to start in March 2008 and last until Aug. 8, when the Games is scheduled to open in the Chinese capital. The relay will involve some 15,000 torch bearers, BOCOG sources said.

Liu also said that his administration is willing to facilitate the visit of mainland sports stars and Olympic champions to Taiwan, as "many people in Taiwan are eager to have face-to-face exchanges with them."

Source: Xinhua