Rogge demands end to hectoring China
+ - 09:05, April 27, 2008
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/6399666.html
The west must stop hectoring China over human rights, International
Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge has demanded.
"You don't obtain anything in China with a loud voice." This was the
"big mistake of people in the west", the IOC chief said in an
interview with the Financial Times published on Saturday.
Rogge said, "It took us 200 years to evolve from the French
Revolution. China started in 1949," a time when Britain and other
European nations were also colonial powers, "with all the abuse
attached to colonial powers". "It was only 40 years ago that we gave
liberty to the colonies. Let's be a little bit more modest."
Rogge said the IOC always believed awarding the 2008 Games to Beijing
would "open up China", and that in time this would happen.
"The Games we believe, over time, will have a good influence on social
evolution in China, and the Chinese admit it themselves," he said.
Rogge questioned whether media attention on Tibet would be as strong
if the Games were not taking place in Beijing. "I wonder if Tibet
would be front page today were it not that the Games are being
organized in Beijing. It would probably be page 4 or 5," he said.
Rogge said China had given significant ground to the IOC by opening
access to foreign media for the Olympics, which he expected to be
extended beyond 2008 and believed would be a key factor in the social
evolution of the country. China had also responded to IOC concerns
about pollution in Beijing, he added.
"We have been able to achieve something. I am not quite sure that
heads of government have achieved much more than we have done," Rogge
said.
The Games would continue to be awarded to cities with the best
technical bids, and were for the benefit of athletes rather than for
international political evolution, but "if at the same time they can
bring something for the region of the country, yes, fine," Rogge said.
Source: Xinhua
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