Chinese Rio delegation lodges complaint with Games organizers over botched flags

By Yao Li in Rio and Fan Lingzhi in Beijing Source:Global Times Published: 2016/8/8 0:48:39

Chinese team has contacted the organizing committee of the Rio Olympic Games regarding their dissatisfaction with the flawed Chinese national flags used in the award ceremonies, a representative of the Chinese Olympic delegation told the Global Times on Sunday.

The flawed flags were prepared by organizers in Rio, a Chinese delegation representative told the Global Times on condition of anonymity.

Former CCTV host Cui Yongyuan wrote on  Sina Weibo on Sunday that many Chinese viewers watching Chinese flags being raised at Olympic award ceremonies over the weekend noticed that the orientation of the four smaller stars on the flags was incorrect.

"Instead of being parallel to each other, the four smaller stars should be rotated so that they point toward the center of the larger star," wrote Cui.

Several media reports claimed the flags used in the Rio Games were  made by Zhejiang-based Jinyu Home Textile Industrial Company.

Net users strongly criticized the company, saying it could not make such mistakes, since they concern the dignity of over 1 billion Chinese people.

"If incorrect Chinese national flags are made in China, it would be the biggest joke," one Net user posted on Sina Weibo.

The head of the company, surnamed Jin, confirmed with the Global Times on Sunday that media reports were mistaken, since the company has only made souvenir products for spectators at the Olympic Games, including caps.

The company previously manufactured national flags in 2008, said Jin. Adding that is unsure which company made the incorrect flags, as there are hundreds of companies in China that offer products for the Rio Games.
Newspaper headline: Chinese team upset with Rio organizers over botched flags


Posted in: Diplomacy

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