Your editorial, “Olympic favorites” (BDN, July 12), rightly points out the International Olympic Committee’s supposed respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.

We believe that the Olympic spirit is a manifestation of mankind’s lofty ideal of world peace. This spirit is reflected in the various competitions, which respect equality among participants, reasonable rules and fairness among competitors.

While the government of the Republic of China (ROC) and the people of Taiwan welcome the fact that the 2008 Olympic Games will be held in Beijing, and offer sincere congratulations to the people of mainland China, we hope that in addition to attempting to improve the human rights situation on the mainland, the mainland authorities will host the Olympic Games with the same spirit by pursuing world peace and abandoning the use of force in both Taiwan Strait and the Asia-Pacific region. Only by maintaining regional peace and stability can the Olympic spirit truly be realized.

Frank Yee Wang

Director, Taipei Economic

and Cultural Office

Boston, Mass.