CHINA: Olympic Coordiation Commission visits Beijing, says Games and recent events in China are separate issues

Record ID: 329819

  • Title: CHINA: Olympic Coordiation Commission visits Beijing, says Games and recent events in China are separate issues
  • Date: 1st April 2008
  • Summary: (ASIA) BEIJING, CHINA (RECENT) (REUTERS) WORKERS CLEANING THE OLYMPIC STADIUM, NAMED "BIRD'S NEST" WORKERS WORKING AT OLYMPIC STADIUM "BIRD'S NEST" STADIUM WORKER WALKING ON OLYMPICS CONSTRUCTION SITE STADIUM
  • Embargoed: 16th April 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: International Relations,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAPIGBEL6UEN932PZSP2E10P1Q
  • Story Text: Representatives of the Olympic Coordination Commission visit Beijing for the last time before the August Games to discuss press freedom, pollution and recent events in China.
    Representatives of the Olympic Coordination Commission visiting Beijing on Tuesday (April 1) emphasised the distinction between the sporting event and recent issues in the host country.
    The Commission members -- a group of International Olympics Committee (IOC) members and experts monitoring the Beijing 2008 Games who have been guiding the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games (BOCOG) for the past seven years, are visiting Beijing for the last time before the Games kick off in August.
    During the visit, they hope to iron out any remaining issues and inspect the progress at the Olympic venues.
    But recent events in Tibet proved hard to push aside as the representatives gathered for a meeting on Tuesday morning.
    Chairman of the Olympic Coordination Commission, Hein Verbruggen, said the representatives should aim to concentrate their efforts delivering a successful sports event, and not veer into politics.

    "Clearly, in recent times, more than ever, the Beijing Games are being drawn into issues that do not necessarily have a link with the operations of the Games. We are all aware that the international community is discussing these topics but it is important to remember that our main focus during these meetings is the successful delivery of the Games operations and therefore the success of the Beijing Games for the athletes of the world," Verbruggen said.
    Liu Qi, the president of the Beijing organising committee for the Games said during the meeting that China is almost done preparing for the big day, and is taking every issues seriously.

    "We have now taken 90 steps, 10 steps remain. These final 10 steps are very important," said Liu.
    Speaking to Reuters outside of the meeting, Vice-Chairman of the Olympic Coordination Commission, Kevan Gosper, also stressed that press freedom in China before and during the games were a separate issue.
    IOC inspectors have told Beijing organisers that the Internet must be open for the duration of the 2008 Olympics.
    The Internet is routinely censored in China but Beijing is committed by its "host city contract" to giving the estimated 30,000 media expected for the Olympics the freedom to report as they have at previous Games.
    Gosper praised China's efforts in allowing unprecedented access to the international press during the Olympics and said he trusted the government to deliver on their promises.
    Gosper said he was not discouraged by the recent events in Tibet.

    "No I'm not. They've given us a huge commitment and changed their legislation extensively, to enable the international press to report on these games as they have previously. And we are confident they will do that even this morning we discussed and insisted again and we will take this up in the preliminary meetings, that the Internet for example is open at all times during games time. Now there were some criticism that the Internet closed down during the events relating Tibet in previous weeks but this is not games time.
    Our concern is that the press has the freedom to operate as it has in previous games during games time. And I'm satisfied the Chinese understand the need for this and they will do it," he said.
    Gosper added he remained positive about the government's efforts in reducing pollution during the sporting event, and finding solutions for the problems that still remain, including long distance events.

    "A lot of testing has been done to ensure that under normal conditions any athlete can compete for up to an hour for example, without any risk of a problem to their performance. For the longer distance events, there may have to be some movement if the elements are bad but there are all sorts of levers that the Chinese can pull in terms of improving the air quality during games time," he said.
    Smog that regularly blankets Beijing is a major worry for athletes.
    Marathon record holder Haile Gebrselassie said earlier he would not compete in the Games because of the pollution.
    International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge has said some events could be rescheduled if the air was too polluted.
    China has invested some 120 billion yuan ($17.11 billion U.S. dollars) over the last decade to improve its environment and has promised a spate of special measures to guarantee breathable conditions come August.
    The Coordination Commission will hold their 10th and final series of meetings with Beijing organisers from Tuesday to Thursday (April 3).
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