Yahoo Sports China blasts NBC for using 'incomplete map' during Opening Ceremony broadcast
China has lashed out at NBC Universal for not including Taiwan or islands in the South China Sea as part of a map of the country the network displayed on Friday during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics.
A statement posted by the Chinese consulate in New York said that NBC “hurt the dignity and emotions of the Chinese people” by showing an “incomplete map” during the arrival of the country’s athletes.
"We urge NBC to recognize the serious nature of this problem and take measures to correct the error,” the statement said.
A spokesperson for NBC Sports did not immediately return an email from Yahoo Sports on Saturday seeking comment on China’s criticism. As of Saturday afternoon, the network’s map of China remained unchanged on a stream of the Opening Ceremony available on NBCOlympics.com.
The South China Sea is disputed territory that China claims as its own. Last year, former U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo described China’s pursuit of offshore resources in the area as "completely unlawful." The Biden administration has taken a similar stance, throwing its support behind a 2016 tribunal ruling that rejected China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Carlos Del Toro, President Biden’s nominee for Navy secretary, said earlier this month at his confirmation hearing that defending Taiwan from China in every way possible is “incredibly important.”
"We should be focused on providing Taiwan with as much self-defensive measures as humanly possible,” Del Toro added.
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