China seethes at NBC for showing 'incomplete' map missing Taiwan during Olympic opening ceremony
© Matthias Hangst/Getty Images
Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials are furious with NBC Universal for showing an "incomplete" map of the country during Friday's opening ceremony at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
As Chinese athletes entered the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, the NBC broadcast displayed a map of China that did not include Taiwan or the South China Sea as recognized parts of Chinese territory. The CCP considers both territories to be a rightful part of their country, despite that claim being disputed by various members of the international community.
China's consulate in New York said NBC "hurt the dignity and emotions of the Chinese people" in a social media post Saturday. "We urge NBC to recognize the serious nature of this problem and take measures to correct the error," the statement continued.
Chinese state-run media outlet Global Times
also blasted NBCfor the graphic, characterizing it as a "dirty political trick."
Taiwanese athletes at the Olympic Games do not compete under the Chinese flag, instead competing under the banner of Chinese Taipei. China, Brunei, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam are all involved in various territorial disputes in the South China Sea.