2016 Rio Olympics: China objects to flawed national flags at award ceremonies

The Chinese team taking part in the Rio Olympic Games has complained to the organising committee over using flawed Chinese national flags in the award ceremonies.

The flawed flags, which were prepared by organisers in Rio, have stars incorrectly positioned, a Chinese delegation representative told state-run Global Times.

Former CCTV host Cui Yongyuan wrote on social media app Sina Weibo on Sunday that many Chinese viewers watching Chinese flags being raised at Olympic award ceremonies over the weekend noticed that the orientation of the four smaller stars on the flags was incorrect.

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"Instead of being parallel to each other, the four smaller stars should be rotated so that they point toward the centre of the larger star," wrote Cui.

Several media reports claimed the flags used in the Rio Games were made by Zhejiang-based Jinyu Home Textile Industrial Company.

Netizens strongly criticised the company, saying it could not make such mistakes that concern the dignity of the country.

"If incorrect Chinese national flags are made in China, it would be the biggest joke," one user posted on Sina Weibo.

The head of the company, who was identified by Global Times only by his surname Jin, said that his company has only made souvenir products for spectators at the Olympic Games.

The company previously manufactured national flags in 2008, Jin said, adding that he is not sure which company made the incorrect flags, as there are hundreds of companies in China that offered products for the Rio Games.