Chuang Chih-Yuan of Taiwan played Thursday's pingpong semifinal against Wang Hao of China. Chuang lost, meaning Wang will face compatriot Zhang Jike in an all-China final.

Had Chuang won, it would have added a bit of politics into the mix.

Taiwan is a self-governing democratic island, which split from China amid civil war in 1949. China, however, regards Taiwan as a renegade province. A final between China and Taiwan would have raised all kinds of interesting questions.

For example: Large parts of the world would not have seen it as an all-China final, though that's certainly how China would have seen it.

Taiwan doesn't even get to use its flag or real name in the Olympics, where it is identified as "Chinese Taipei."

— Stephen Wade — Twitter: http://twitter.com/StephenWadeAP

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