China strongly opposes using the Olympic Games to hype political issues - such as Darfur - which only serve to disturb preparation works.
"It is of apparent political intention and purpose to link the Darfur issue with the Olympics," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said yesterday at a regular press conference. "Such practice violates the Olympic spirit and principle, and will never succeed."
China is firmly opposed to those persons or organizations who hype particular issues in the name of the Olympics, said Jiang in response to a question asking whether China would put more pressure on Sudan. Some foreign media believe China's continued support for the regime in Sudan could tarnish the Olympics.
"I don't know whether those organizations know China's role on the issue and the current situation in the Darfur region," she said.
Liu Guijin, Chinese special envoy for African affairs, rejected Western media accusations as groundless, saying it was ridiculous to politicize the Olympic Games.
"It is just some portion of Western media and organizations that stick to observing China through colored glasses," Liu said.
"The 2008 Games is not only China's but also the whole world's. The international community has already achieved a consensus that the Games should not be linked to politics," Liu told China Daily yesterday.
China has been the first country to promise and then to dispatch soldiers to take part in peacekeeping missions in Darfur, Jiang said.
A 140-strong advance troop of a Chinese engineering unit has arrived in Darfur, and the unit is gradually being deployed.
The political process and peacekeeping deployment in Darfur has achieved progress under joint efforts of all concerned parties, Jiang said.
Source: China Daily/Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article