Which heads of state will be attending the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics? The answer to this riddle will not be revealed until August 8. However, as the time draws near, more heads of state have clearly expressed that they will attend. These leaders include US President Bush, Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda, Korean President Lee Myung-bak, Australian Prime Minister Rudd, and even French President Sarkozy, who, after wavering for a time, announced on July 9 that he would also participate in the Opening Ceremony.
No one wants to miss this kind of opportunity to enjoy a grand global gathering. The world, the East, China—when these elements are fused together, what an exciting setting they create! More importantly, the Olympic spirit of friendship, unity, and mutual understanding will emerge along with the common human ideals of the pursuit of peace and progress.
For heads of the state, this is a great opportunity for "summit diplomacy." No matter if one's country is big or small, strong or weak, all can set aside their disputes, deepen understanding, exchange viewpoints, and convey to the world their wish for peace and progress, using the Olympics as a platform. At the Athens Olympics, nearly 20 heads of state signed an agreement to cease all fighting and war during the Games.
In actuality, the issue of which leaders will attend the Olympics Opening Ceremony should not be a hot topic. It has only drawn attention because some people have aimed to use this as a way to contain, threaten, and embarrass China. They have turned a grand gathering for humanity into a political tool for their self-interest.
Their first mistake is that they have misunderstood the Olympic spirit. The Olympic spirit does not promote rivalry and conflict, but peace, friendship, equality, and progress. It is just like Deng Yaping said, we have been preparing for the Olympics until now, and it means much more than a sports competition. It embraces humanity's positive yearnings and feelings, building a shared spiritual home for humanity. Turning this kind of gathering into an opportunity to attack China is a grave departure from the Olympic spirit.
They have underestimated China's influence. China is the world's largest developing country, and the year in which it is holding the Olympics is also the 30th anniversary of its economic reforms. In the past 30 years, the Chinese people have come to stand on their own feet and have struggled hard to build a flourishing country. They have also contributed significantly to global development. In the process of economic reforms, China began to learn how to understand the world, and the world also gradually learned to understand a quickly developing China. Because of this, some people with different views are still willing to come to China for the Olympics, to travel and explore. Other than the people who are stubbornly sticking to their negative opinions, no one wants to miss this great opportunity to understand and have dialogue with China.
It is always a great pleasure to meet friends from faraway places. Even if they hold misgivings or bias against China's development, or are very critical of China, we will warmly welcome them as long as they are willing to come to China to take a look. As to those who do not want to come, we of course will not force them to.
The Beijing Olympic Games are more than China's event; they are the world's, first and foremost.
By People's Daily Online
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