Tokyo, July 28 -- The Taiwan Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan has strongly condemned political interference during the Tokyo International Choir Competition, accusing China of pressuring organisers to alter the identity of Taiwanese participants, Taipei Times reported.

The controversy erupted after six Taiwanese choirs participated in the competition held from Friday to Sunday in Tokyo. The groups included school children and adult performers from different regions of Taiwan. According to the office, organisers were forced to remove Taiwan's national flag and rename the teams from "Taiwan" to "Chinese Taipei" following pressure from Chinese officials.

The representative office said it was informed about the issue on ...