Beijing's Olympics committee boss promised the best-ever games when
he met with visiting IOC Life President Antonio Samaranch Tuesday.
Liu Qi also expressed his thanks for the timely and excellent
advice that Samaranch had given after the city won the bid to host
the XXIX Olympiad.
It
was under Samaranch's presidency that Beijing succeeded in its
long-coveted aim to host the Olympics.
Samaranch is now the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s
Honorary Life President.
Liu, the Beijing municipal Party secretary, said Olympic
preparations are on track as the SARS epidemic fades, and
guaranteed either plans or construction would be effected by the
disease.
Over the past months, the committee has been looking at blueprints
of several major venues, including the National Swimming Center.
Major construction work is scheduled to begin at the end of this
year.
With an excellent and well-ahead-of-schedule performance by the
committee, Samaranch is confident that Liu's predictions will be
realized.
"I
particularly think my Chinese friends will make the Games in your
capital -- Beijing the best in Olympic history,'' Samaranch said in
an exclusive interview with China Daily.
"I
would like to attend the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing as a
spectator if I could, because I am always supporting your
country,'' he said.
The 83-year-old Spaniard had advised Beijing to attach great
importance to the after-Games utilization of new sports
facilities.
"Preparations for the new sports facilities will not be a problem
(for Beijing), what you have to think when building new sports
sites is the use of them after the Olympics,'' he said.
Having looked at the details of the capital's plans, Samaranch said
that he was pleased to see that the organizing committee had indeed
focused on this issue.
Following his three-day visit, Samaranch left for Paris yesterday
evening together with the visiting Spanish Foreign Minister Ana
Palacio.
The trip was the ninth to Beijing for the man who was IOC President
from 1980 to 2001.
"You have done a lot of things in the last two years (after winning
the bid) and I am sure that Beijing can achieve the goal of
finishing construction a year before the Games, by 2007,'' he
said.
"During my 21 years as IOC president, I always had excellent and
friendly relations with China.''
Turning to the China-Spain forum, a newly-established body of which
Samaranch is chairman, he revealed that the first working session
will be held in October in Beijing.
"I
will come again,'' he said, smiling.
Samaranch said Spain is willing to share its experience of hosting
the Barcelona Olympics with Beijing to help the city achieve a
great success.
He
said the forum will help Spanish enterprises gain greater
opportunities in the area of gymnasium construction for the 2008
Olympic Games.
He
said for its part the Spanish side is also expected to aid China
through the forum to improve the country's level in some sports
such as tennis, football and hockey.
Liu Jingmin vice-president of the committee expressed his gratitude
to Samaranch for his valuable suggestions.
"We have followed many of them,'' said Liu, adding that the
committee had listened keenly to the international community,
inviting many foreign experts advice, when it came to making
decisions on venue construction.
"We place much significance on multi-function and
cost-effectiveness during the construction,'' he said.
(China Daily July 9, 2003)