Taipei - Taiwan said Monday that China has invited the leaders of Taipei's 23 diplomatic allies to attend next month's Olympic opening ceremony in Beijing, but these leaders have refused to attend.

"China has invited the heads of all countries, including our allies, to the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. So far, none of the heads of state or deputy heads of state of our allies will attend," Ko Shen-yeaw, director of the Foreign Ministry's Department of Central American Affairs, told reporters.

Instead, Ko said some of Taiwan's allies will send sports officials to attend the opening ceremony.

"They are either these countries' sports ministers or Olympic committee chairmen. Our allies stressed that their sports officials attending the opening ceremony will not hurt their ties with Taiwan," he said.

Ko cited the example of Taiwan's 12 diplomatic allies in Latin America and the Caribbean, saying only two will send officials to the Beijing opening ceremony - one of whom is a sports minister while the other is an Olympic committee chairman.

The number of Taiwan's diplomatic allies has dwindled from about 68 to the current 23 since the country, formally called the Republic of China (ROC), lost its seat in the United Nations to China in 1971.

China has been wooing Taiwan's allies to switch recognition from Taipei to Beijing.

Taiwan accepts foreign countries' dual recognition of both Beijing and Taipei. But China, which sees Taiwan as its breakaway province, insists foreign countries cut ties with Taipei before they can launch diplomatic ties with Beijing. (dpa)