Senior political figures of the opposition parties of Taiwan on Friday criticized the island's authorities for mixing politics with sports by the attempt of turning away the Olympic torch.

As the host of 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing on Thursday unveiled the 137,000-km torch relay route, which includes a stop at Taipei before the torch enters Hong Kong, Macao, and a scores of Chinese mainland cities.

But some of Taiwan's pro-independence officials immediately rejected the route, claiming that the plan "belittles" Taiwan.

Yok Mu-ming, chairman of the New Party, said the island's authorities rejected the plan as they considered it might do good to their election campaign next year.

"The Taiwan masses will never support that (rejection)," Yok said during a visit to the Olympic sites in Beijing ahead of a mainland-Taiwan cooperation forum.

He said ordinary people in Taiwan felt thrilled at the moment Beijing won the host of 2008 Summer Olympic Games and many are planning to cross the Taiwan Strait next year to watch the Games.

"Taiwan people's enthusiasm for the Beijing Olympics will never ebb," Yok said.

Kuan Chung, vice chairman of the Kuomintang, said on the same occasion that hosting the Olympics is "a glory for all Chinese" and "politics should never intrude this event."

He said the participation of people from both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan will greatly increase the understanding and exchanges across the strait.

By People's Daily Online