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What is China saying with the song choices at the Asian Games?
- Change of Taiwan team’s name is yet another outcome of changing cross-strait ties over the years, says politics professor
- Host is singing a new tune with Cantopop, love ballads and rock classics at Hangzhou multi-sport event
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The political messaging is in the details at this year’s Asian Games in eastern China, observers say, with Cantopop, ballads and references to Taiwan signalling official positions.
The multi-sport event in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, started on September 23 and runs until Sunday after being postponed for a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is the second major international sports event hosted by China without any Covid-related restrictions – the Fisu World University Games were held in Chengdu in July and August.
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The opening ceremony at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre stadium, watched by the 80,000 spectators and millions at home, was a blaze of artistry and technology, but other aspects of the ongoing event are intriguing sharp-eyed observers.
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China’s Xi Jinping opens Asian Games with calls for solidarity and inclusiveness through sports
China’s Xi Jinping opens Asian Games with calls for solidarity and inclusiveness through sports
At the opening ceremony, Taiwanese athletes came out to roaring applause as they walked in front of a backdrop referring to the team as “Chinese Taipei” – the term commonly used in international tournaments for groups representing the island.
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