The Rice Thresher
Date: July 14, 2015
By: Anita Alem

Rice recently removed the Taiwan banner from its campus when hosting a visit from Chinese

Before and after pictures of the same light pole outside the Rice Memorial Center taken by a Rice postdoctoral scholar and shared online. – Photo Andrew Chang

officials, according to Senior Director of News & Media Relations BJ Almond. The visit from June 21-22 included university presidents and chancellors from China and the United States, as well as China’s Vice Premier Liu, Minister of Education Yuan Guiren, and Vice Minister of Education Hao Ping.

“Rice was honored to host a visit from a very high-ranking Chinese official and removed two Taiwan banners for a short time for protocol purposes,” Senior Director of News & Media Relations BJ Almond said. “The banners were restored the day after the visit, as originally planned.”

According to Almond, Rice’s light poles are often adorned with themed banners that are rearranged, replaced and removed for a variety of reasons. The current banners feature the flags of countries represented by Rice students and faculty, including Taiwan.     [FULL  STORY]