"This is going to be the greatest Olympic Games ever," British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Saturday morning when visiting the National Stadium, the main venue of the Beijing Olympic Games.
"This is going to be the greatest Olympic Games ever," Brown said after coming out of the stadium, "I'm flattered that British design has been involved in it... for the athletes, it's going to be great, for the public, it's going to be wonderful."
"A great stadium, a huge project by the people of Beijing, a great contribution by China to world peace and prosperity, because the theme of the Games is 'one world, one dream'," Brown told reporters.
Brown is the first foreigner to be allowed into the National Stadium, nicked-named the "Bird's Nest" due to its shape, according to Henry Zhang, deputy general manager of the National Stadium Co., Ltd.
Zhang said Brown walked down the bleachers to the running tracks to the southeastern side of the stadium. He also watched a miniature exhibition on the stadium that includes contents such as its energy-saving designs and uses after the Games.
Brown's Bird's Nest visit lasted some 20 minutes. He was given a gift, a model of the Bird's Nest, by Vice Mayor of Beijing Chen Gang.
"Young British athletes and young Chinese athletes are going to work together for the next few years... we are going to have deep cooperation that has ever been seen... and I hope as we will win some medals in Beijing in 2008, we will be prepared to win even more medals in London in 2012," said Brown.
"When people come to Beijing and when they see this Olympics stadium, they see this magnificent effort by the Chinese people at making one of the greatest games in history," said Brown, "and I also believed that young British athletes who come here will be inspired, so that we can do even better in London in 2012,"
Brown's accompany included his wife Sarah Brown and a retired British middle-distance athlete, Kelly Holmes, who won gold medals in the 800 meters and the 1500 meters at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.
Holmes said the Bird's Nest is a fantastic stadium and the Beijing Olympic Games is going to be a fantastic games.
"I'm sure China will do their utmost to make it as comfortable as they possibly can for the athletes involved... I think people are going to be here to achieve their own dreams," said Holmes.
When asked whether he will attend the games, Brown said, "Yes, I'm looking forward to being here at the games in August, to again congratulate China's achievements... the bonds between our two cities are going to grow, London and Beijing, over the next few years,"
Brown arrived here Friday morning for a three-day official visit to China, his first China tour since assuming office last June. He will also Shanghai after Beijing.
Brown had held meetings and talks with Chinese leaders on Friday. The two sides reached broad consensus, including on the Olympic Games.
Source: Xinhua
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