Jottings from the Granite Studio

It’s been a week of identity crises for Chinese delegations traveling overseas. First was a delegation of Chinese tourism officials greeted at Zimbabwe’s Harare airport with signs in Korean. Today, at a ceremony to the mark the opening of a brand new Chinese-financed stadium in the island nation of Grenada, the Chinese ambassador was shocked when the band struck up the national anthem…of Taiwan.

Chinese Ambassador Qian Hongshan and scores of blue-uniformed Chinese laborers who built the $40 million Queen’s Park stadium as a gift were visibly uncomfortable as Taiwan’s anthem echoed inside the 20,000-seat venue.

The mistake was reminiscent of an early gaffe by US officials during Hu Jintao’s last visit to Washington. As President Bush and Hu stood side by side, an announcer said, “‘Ladies and gentlemen, the national anthem of the Republic of China, followed by the national anthem of the United States of America.’” It should be noted, however, that at least the US Marine Band got the song right.

Grenada Prime Minister Keith Mitchell has pledged an investigation into how such a mistake could have been made.