Chinese President Jiang Zemin met Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and some other IOC members Sunday in Guangzhou. Rogge and the IOC members are here attending China's 9th National Games scheduled for November 11 to 25.
Jiang extended welcome to Rogge and other IOC members on behalf of the Chinese government and people, and expressed his gratitude to IOC for choosing Beijing to host the 29th Olympic Games in 2008.
The Chinese President told the guests that Beijing's success in bidding for hosting the Olympics has greatly inspired millions of Chinese people's enthusiasms for sports and the Olympic movement.
This would not only promote popularity and development of the world Olympic movement but also facilitate the cultural exchanges between east and west, Jiang said.
Rogge said he was glad to meet President Jiang Zemin again and was grateful to the Chinese host for inviting him to attend the country's 9th National Games that is to open Sunday evening.
The IOC President spoke highly of China's accomplishments in sports in recent years, saying he is confident that China is fully capable of running a successful Olympic Games in 2008.
Rogge reiterated that IOC would closely collaborate with China and guarantee the success of the 2008 Olympics.
Jiang appreciated this support, and pointed out that the current National Games will not only review the development of China's sports but also test the country's ability to host the Olympic Games seven years later.
He emphasized that the Chinese government will fully support the Beijing Olympic Games Organizing Committee in its efforts to run the 29th Olympics into a gala sports meet for the unity, friendship, peace and advancement of people of the world in accordance with the standard and demand of IOC.
Rogge and other IOC members have come to Guangzhou specially for the 9th National Games at the invitation from the Chinese Olympic Committee.
Present at the meeting were Li Changchun, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Party Secretary of Guangdong, and other Chinese officials including Wang Gang, Yuan Weimin, Lu Ruihua and Li Zhijian.
1.3 Billion Reasions to Choose Beijing for 2008 Olympics
China has a large population of 1.3 billion people, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has the same number of reasons to award Beijing the 2008 Olympic Games, said the visiting IOC president Jacques Rogge on Saturday.
"To a journalist who asked me to give a good reason why the International Olympic Committee has elected Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games, I replied there are a billion three hundred million good reasons to do so," said Rogge.
Beijing beat the other four candidate cities to win the 2008 Games on July 13 at Moscow, where Rogge was also elected IOC president three days later.
Rogge, who, along with dozens of IOC members, arrived today for China's Ninth National Games to be held here from November 11-25, addressed a reception held by the organizing committee.
He also stressed that the IOC members came here with "a sense of great respect, great gratitude, high hopes and great confidence."
He expressed respect for China's sporting achievement and gratitude for "the tremendous support that has been given by China to the Olympic Movement."
And the IOC returned this with a decision to award Beijing the 2008 Olympic Games, said Rogge.
He also cherished high hopes for a "tremendous Games" in Beijing and great confidence that the capital of China will put on a wonderful games seven years later.
"We have great confidence with your ability to deliver the Games for the sake of athletes and for the future of Olympism," he added.
( November 12, 2001)
