Taiwan Anthem Played For China Officials

(AP)  A diplomatic gaffe marred Saturday's inauguration of a China-financed stadium on this Caribbean island when a band performed the national anthem of Chinese rival Taiwan.

Chinese Ambassador Qian Hongshan and scores of blue-uniformed Chinese laborers who built the $40 million Queen's Park stadium as a gift were visibly uncomfortable as Taiwan's anthem echoed inside the 20,000-seat venue.

Describing it as a blunder, Grenada Prime Minister Keith Mitchell pledged an investigation into how the Royal Grenada Police Band could have prepared the anthem of Taiwan instead of China.

China and Taiwan split in 1949 amid a civil war, and Beijing claims the democratically run island is a renegade province that should not have diplomatic ties with other countries.

The Asian rivals have both campaigned aggressively to win the allegiance of Caribbean nations. Grenada switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China in 2005.

"I am very saddened," Mitchell told the workers and Chinese Embassy staff from Grenada and neighboring Trinidad and Tobago. "This unfortunate error breaks my heart."

Police declined to comment except to say they would issue a statement later.

A similar mishap occured at the White House in April 2006 during a visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao when an announcer called China by Taiwan's formal name.

As President Bush and Hu stood at attention, an announcer said, "Ladies and gentlemen, the national anthem of the Republic of China, followed by the national anthem of the United States of America."

It was China's anthem that was played. But "Republic of China" is the formal name of Taiwan. China is known formally as the People's Republic of China.

Grenada's stadium was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, and some 500 Chinese workers helped rebuild the venue in time to host cricket World Cup matches in April.

With all gate receipts going to host governments, Grenada stands to collect substantial revenue from the first World Cup in the Caribbean as it moves to revive a tourism industry devastated by hurricanes in 2004 and 2005.

[obiquital]

"I think china has proven over and over again they are not our friends they spie on us

Posted by dmorg4 "

We spy on all our friends.

[Free Citizen]

This must seem like a typical American opinion of an up coming economic power. I wouldn't be proud of that. It comes of as the opinions of ignorant individuals. If you do not sing The Star-Spangled Banner to the tune of the anthem of the Soviet Union, I think you should appreciate that citizens of other nations are just as proud of their own national anthems. Just imagine if you donate a stadium to Mexico and they play the national anthem of Cuba for you, I wonder how well that will go down in Washington.

I do not know why is it that every now and then, when a competitor to the US comes about they must be the enemy out to conquer the world. First it was the Soviet Union now it is China. If history is any guide, China did not invade the west but it was western powers that intruded China and brought her down to her knees with opium addiction. China nor any other nation for that matter has not delivered a bomb elsewhere. That distinction goes to the US for dropping not one but two bombs on Japan. And it has gone out of its way to invaded Vietnam and Iraq.

China isn't the US and the US isn't China. You can't apply your values arbitrarily on others. It may not be suitable to them. But having different values does not automatically make them your enemy. They are certainly not imposing their values on you.

[dmorg4]

I think china has proven over and over again they are not our friends they spie on us
they do not share our values of free speech
or any thing else

[dmorg4]

I just say keep sending money to china and some day they gonna give it back in the form of bombs
when they think they are big enough they will attack the united states or somebody else

[olebd]

What a shame!!! We all must bow down to the great Communist Republic who we entrust to make our goods for us cheaply so that we can buy more and more. Keep fueling their growth so they can take over the world someday.

[myopinion1]

Why can't everyone just get along? If the people involved in this story realize how stupid and foolish all this sounds when there are people dying and starving all over the world, bad people are killing good people, who cares if someone made a mistake with a song?