Taipei  - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou on Tuesday vowed to host successful Deaflympics in September because the event can help end the island's international isolation.

"The Deaflympics will take place one month from now and we are excited. It is a great honor for Taiwan to host the Deaflympics because it is part of the Olympic events," he said while receiving Rotary International's President John Kenny.

"Taiwan's Kaohsiung recent hosted the World Games. For Taiwan to host two major international sports events in a year is a milestone for Taiwan's walking into the world," he said.

Some 4,000 deaf athletes from about 100 countries and regions will compete in 20 sports at the September 5-15 Deaflympics in Taipei.

China sees Taiwan as its breakaway province and bars Taiwan leaders from appearing at international events, fearing they might use the occasion to promote Taiwan's independence.

But on July 16, at the opening ceremony of the World Games, the International World Games Association President Ron Froehlich introduced Ma as Taiwan's president and allowed him to open the games.

Taiwan considered that a victory for boosting the island's international profile.

While under International Olympic Committee rules Taiwan's title, national flag and anthem cannot appear or be heard at Olympic-related sports events, the World Games are for non-Olympic sports.

Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chu, in an interview with the Liberty Times on Tuesday, said China tried hard to to block Ma opening the Games, and it was Froehlich's personal decision to let him open them.

China competed at the World Games, but boycotted the opening and closing ceremonies. (dpa)