Asia News reports that China is allowing the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games torch to pass through Taiwan in a way that meets conditions set by the island, a Taiwan Olympic committee official said Thursday.

The torch is to enter Taiwan from a country other than China and, after passing through Taiwan, go on to Hong Kong before entering the Chinese mainland, Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee Vice Chairman Tsai Tsi-chuei told Kyodo News.

Tsai said, “it’s only natural (for the torch) to go through Taiwan, which is a member of the International Olympic Committee” (IOC), adding that even officials on the Chinese side recognized having the torch not go through the island is “not an option”.

He said that Japan will likely be the country through which the torch will travel before it enters Taiwan, or a nation in Southeast Asia.

The entire route of the Olympic torch relay will be announced after being approved at an IOC meeting to be held April 25-27 in Beijing.