True Beijing to Be Shown to IOC Inspectors, MayorOn the eve of the arrival of the International Olympic Committee's evaluation commission, Beijing Mayor Liu Qi said the Chinese capital will show itself in a frank manner and he hopes foreign media will make objective reporting on China."We will not paper over our shortcomings," Liu said on Sunday, February 18. "We don't worry about this, for we are making fast progress and confident to be true to our commitments." "I hope foreign media will make objective descriptions of developing China," added Liu, also the President of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Bidding Committee. The 17-member IOC evaluation commission will start their four-day inspection of Beijing next Wednesday. Beijing is the first candidate to meet IOC assessment. Liu applauded the idea that the IOC inspectors' mission is essentially technical not political in nature. "The politics should not be mixed with sports," Liu said. "We are firmly opposed to any attempts to foil Beijing's bid on the excuse of human rights." IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch had explained the inspectors' mission in a letter to head of the IOC evaluation commission Hein Verbruggen. Samaranch writes that the IOC Executive Board considers the role of the Evaluation Commission is to evaluate the ability of each candidate city under the best possible conditions for all participants -- primarily the athletes. Liu said that political discrepancies cannot justify the criticism on Beijing's bidding, which has enjoyed nationwide support. "China has been conducting dialogue with the world on the human rights issues," Liu said. "We believe these political problems should not prevent the Chinese from realizing their aspiration to see the Games to be staged in Beijing." Bridge Cultural Gap through OlympicsLiu Qi, who started his career as a metallurgy engineer, hopes to build a steel bridge, not for reviving his old dream but for helping East meet West.Liu pinned his hope on the 2008 Olympic Games, which Beijing, Paris, Toronto, Osaka and Istanbul are bidding for. "If Beijing is chosen as a host to the Olympic Games, the largest sporting event on earth, it will open a window for the rest of the world to get a much closer look at the ancient city with splendid civilization," Liu said. "Beijing is the representative of the Oriental cultures and the Beijing Olympics will be a bridge between West and East," he said. "I had a long steel-making career. Even while working in the government, I hope to pick up my old profession and build a steel bridge again." Promising to deliver a Games with the most pleasant environment and the state-of-the-art technology, Beijing also pledges to stage a cultural Games. Beijing, a city dated back to 3,000 years ago, boasts five UNESCO-certified World Heritage sites featuring the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and Zhoukoudian. "A Beijing Games is in line with the Olympic principle of blending sports and culture," said Liu. Nourished by the ancient civilization, Beijing enjoys the fastest development among the five candidates, said Liu. "Beijing, the city of future, is developing rapidly. With the entry to the World Trade Organization, great potential of the Chinese market will be further tapped. Liu said an Olympic Games will speed up Beijing's changes in all aspects. "One of the Olympic legacies will be the acceleration of environmental protection and the improvement of people's livelihood," he said. "The Olympic Movement can be a great boost to the city's development and Beijing can embody the Olympic Movement in the most convincing manner." |
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