Unity and inclusiveness on display at sporting event in Bay Area

Unity, peace, inclusiveness and sportsmanship were the themes at this year's Overseas Chinese Sports Tournament.

Some events in the tournament — the largest of its kind outside of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan — were held on Saturday at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, about 40 kilometers south of San Francisco.

Nineteen elected US officials throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, representatives from business and academia, and China's diplomat in California attended the opening ceremony.

The tournament's organizer, the Northern California Chinese Culture-Athletic Federation, said that the number of athletes and spectators exceeded 2,000, a record since the inception of the federation 20 years ago.

"Sports can break barriers. It transcends differences. It brings people together. It makes our society more inclusive and harmonious," said Zhang Jianmin, China's consul general in San Francisco. "This is the very reason why this tournament has been so popular in the Bay Area."

The tournament held sporting events in 18 categories. The track and field event on Saturday drew about 200 athletes who are both physically and academically strong.

Zhang emphasized the importance of a healthy China-US relationship, "especially under the current difficult circumstances".

"A good China-US relationship is in the interest of not just the people of our two countries. It is one that people throughout the world want," Zhang said, adding the US should understand the necessity and urgency of upholding the one-China principle.

On Saturday, Lai Ching-te, "deputy leader" in Taiwan, made a brief "stopover" in New York, which prompted strong opposition from the central government as well as criticism from the overseas Chinese community.

Beijing has strongly opposed Lai's "stopover" in the United States, calling him a "troublemaker through and through" and stating that the move "seriously violates the one-China principle, and gravely undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity".

The remarks came after Lai arrived in New York on Saturday on his way to Paraguay — one of only 13 states that retain official ties with Taiwan — to attend the inauguration of the country's new president.

The Taiwan question is at the heart of the core interests of China, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-US relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations, China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"So, I sincerely hope all Chinese compatriots, wherever we come from, no matter which part of China we come from, we can stay united in a joint pursuit for the eventual reunification of our motherland and for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and of course, for better and more cooperation between China and the United States," said Zhang.