China's Strict Visa Conditions Threaten Olympics

Africa: China's Strict Visa Conditions Threaten Olympics Posted to the web 21 July 2008 Tunde Sulaiman Lagos Almost 32 years after the Olympics witnessed an African boycott of the global sports meet, the spectre once again looms of a similar action by the same nations. However, unlike the contentious issue which marred the 1976 Montreal Games, which was to protest New Zealand's sporting ties with the apartheid regime in South Africa, this time around their grouse is with the host of next month's Games - China. African nation's are unhappy with the antics of the Chinese embassies in their countries with regard to the issuance of visas for their various delegations to attend the Games, which begin on August 8. The embassies are making it very difficult for the various African countries to procure the travel documents for their... [read full story]