China Calls for Efforts to Promote Olympic Spirit

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, December 12, 2001

China Calls for Efforts to Promote Olympic Spirit

China Tuesday called on the international community to stick to the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, promote the Olympic spirit for peace and development in the world.

"We believe that holding the Olympic games in China, a country with a history of five thousand years, will not only represent the full recognition by the world of China's great achievements since it adopted the reform and opening-up policy, but also offer a good opportunity for exchange between Oriental and Occidental civilizations," senior official said.

Efforts called to promote Olympic spirit

China Tuesday called on the international community to stick to the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, promote the Olympic spirit for peace and development in the world.

The statement came as Shen Guofang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, was taking the floor at the General Assembly on the issue of "building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal."

Efforts in new century

Today, mankind has already stepped into the 21st century, Shen said. "Countries in the world should continue to stick to the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, promote the Olympic spirit vigorously, seek peaceful solutions of international disputes and regional conflicts, enhance understanding and friendship among civilizations through dialogue and exchange, and work for the continuous global social and economic development through cooperation."

"East or west, north or south, the common aspiration of people all over the world today is that the 21st century would be a new century marking human development and progress," he said.

Olympic spirit, UN Charter

"The Olympic spirit, initiated more than two thousand years ago, is a distillation of humanity's effort to seek self development and fulfillment," he said. "Over this long period of time, the Olympic ideal have never wavered ever since Mr. Pierre de Coubertin initiated the modern Olympic games at the end of 19th century."

The establishment of the United Nations as well as the purposes and principles of its Charter and the efforts it has since made for world peace and common economic development have also contributed in no small way to promoting the development of the Olympic games, he said.

"The terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11 have constituted a fundamental violation of the Olympic ideal as well as a serious challenge to human civilization," he said. "The international community should strengthen its cooperation against terrorism, combat terrorism in all forms and strive to eradicate its root causes."

China's aspiration and confidence

On July 13, the city of Beijing won the right to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, he said. "The world has seen the love and respect of a rising ancient Oriental civilization for the Olympic spirit and its aspiration for and pursuit of world peace, friendship and development."

"We believe that holding the Olympic games in China, a country with a history of five thousand years, will not only represent the full recognition by the world of China's great achievements since it adopted the reform and opening-up policy, but also offer a good opportunity for exchange between Oriental and Occidental civilizations," he said.

"China will prove with real action that Beijing will give the world the outstanding Olympic games," he said.

Major Events of Beijing's Bid for 2008 Olympic Games

9 June 1999 -- Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Bid Committee (BOBICO) is established in Beijing.

2 January 2000 -- Logo, motto and website of BOBICO are officially launched.

24 February 2000 -- Meeting between IOC and applying cities, where new bidding procedures and a questionnaire for the applying cities are released.

20 June 2000 - Submission of answers of the questionnaire to IOC.

28-29 August 2000, Lausanne -- Acceptance of Candidate Cities by the IOC Executive Board. The candidate cities are Beijing, Istanbul, Osaka, Paris and Toronto.

1 September 2000 -- IOC sets up the Evaluation Commission to assess the five candidate cities' and their capability to host the Games.

9 September 2000 - Chinese President Jiang Zemin writes to IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch to express the Chinese Government's support to Beijing's bid.

13 September 2000, Sydney -- Drawing of lots by the IOC Executive Board to determine order of Candidate City presentations, etc.

15 September - 1 October 2000, Sydney -- Games of the XXVII Olympiad, 2000. China wins 28 gold medals and ranks third on the medal tally.

25 September 2000, Sydney -- Information meeting between the IOC and the Candidate Cities.

6 September 2000 -- Signature of the Candidature Procedure.

13 December 2000, Lausanne -- Ten-minute presentation by each of the Candidate Cities to the IOC Executive Board.

17 January 2001 -- Submission of Candidature File to the IOC. Mid-February to mid-April 2001 -- Visits of the IOC Evaluation Commission to the Candidate Cities.

20-25 February 2001 -- IOC Evaluation Commission visits Beijing, to inspect the city's capacities to host an Olympic Games.

15 May 2001 -- Report of IOC Evaluation Commission to the Executive Board. Beijing's bid is appraised as "excellent." The report says that Beijing would stage an "excellent Olympic Games." Designation by the IOC Executive Board of Candidate Cities to be submitted to the IOC Session for election.

13 July 2001, 112th IOC Session, Moscow -- Election of the Host City of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in 2008.

More information about Beijing's Olympic bid, please visit Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Bid Committee

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