Special Report: 2008 Olympic Games

    BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Jia Qinglin, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), watched a baseball preliminary match here Wednesday together with Taiwan's Kuomintang Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung and People First Party Chairman James Soong.

    The preliminary involved two teams from Chinese Taipei and the Netherlands. Despite a working day, the stands of the Wukesong Baseball Field were full.

Jia Qinglin (C), member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Taiwan's Kuomintang Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (R front) and People First Party Chairman James Soong (L front) pose on the stand while watching the baseball preliminary match between Chinese Taipei and the Netherlands in Beijing, China, Aug. 13, 2008.(Xinhua Photo/Ma Zhancheng) Photo Gallery>>>

    Jia is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

    Before the match began, Jia stepped onto the stand with Wu and Soong, and they waved to the spectators. During the match, roaring spectators from both sides of the Taiwan Strait enthusiastically cheered for the Chinese Taipei athletes, who finally beat the Dutch 5-0.

    Baseball is one of the most popular sports event in Taiwan. The Chinese Taipei baseball team finished fifth at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.