IN THE WORDS OF Chinese Officials
"The Chinese government will honor our promises and commitments made during our bid to host the Games."
-- Liu Qi, President of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG), quoted by Reuters, September 27, 2006
"By applying for the Olympics, we want to promote not just the city's development, but the development of society, including democracy and human rights. […] If people have a target like the Olympics to strive for, it will help us establish a more just and harmonious society, a more democratic society, and help integrate China into the world."
-- Liu Jinmin, Deputy Mayor of Beijing and Vice President of the Beijing Olympic Games Bid Committee, quoted in The Washington Post, February 21, 2001
"The human rights conditions in China have improved in the last 50 years, especially in the 1990s with the reform and opening policies. We are confident that with the Games coming to China we are going to not only promote the economy, but also enhance all social sectors including education, medical care and human rights. […] Certainly we will give the media complete freedom to report on anything when they come to China and ... we will welcome the media of the world."
-- Wang Wei, Vice President of the Beijing Olympic Games Bid Committee, quoted by AFP,July 12, 2001, one day before the International Olympic Committee awarded the 2008 Games to Beijing
“There will be no restrictions on journalists in reporting on the Olympic Games.”
-- Beijing Olympics organizers in their official bid to host the 2008 Games,filed on January 17, 2001 and quoted in the Committee to Protect Journalists’ report Falling Short (2007)
"We have no restrictions on travel for foreign journalists in China. So once they get the visa, they can travel anywhere in China."
-- Sun Weijia, BOCOG's head of media operations, press briefing, quoted by Reuters, September 27, 2006
“No one in China has been arrested simply because he or she said something on theInternet.”
-- Liu Zhengrong, deputy chief of the Internet Affairs Bureau of the State Council Information Office, to the official China Daily on February 15, 2006. At the time, at least 15 journalists were jailed for online writings.
“You could ask 10 people on the street to stand in front of public security officers and freely say ‘human rights are far more important than the Olympics’ 10 times or even 100 times and I’ll see which officer arrests them. And, if they got tired, the PSB [Public Security Bureau] would probably have them in for a cup of tea.”
-- Yang Jiechi, Chinese Foreign Minister, responding to a question about possible arrests of human rights advocates in relation with the Olympics, quoted in The Financial Times on March 11, 2008
"We have emphasized that with the upcoming Olympics, the Chinese government and people sincerely welcome reporters from around the world to come to China and cover the Games in a fair and objective way."
-- Qin Gang, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, quoted by Reuters on December 4, 2007
"China will live up to its words and will turn its words into deeds, providing good services to the media. […] China is a country of credibility and the Chinese government is a responsible government. It will take it seriously to respect its commitments made in the [Olympic] bid process."
-- Liu Qi, President of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG),quoted by The South China Morning Post, October 1, 2006
“You must have heard Mr. Bush saying on many occasions that he himself and his family members will come to Beijing to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. As far as I'm concerned, political leaders of many countries have expressed the same positive attitude… More and more political leaders as well as people in the sport and other communities around the world have realized it goes against the Olympic spirit to politicize the Beijing Olympic Games and it is fiddle-faddle to link the Beijing Olympic Games with the Darfur issue.”
-- Liu Guijin, Beijing’s Special Representative on the Darfur Issue, at a press briefing on March 7, 2008,quoted at http://www.chinaconsulatesf.org/eng/xw/t414377.htm
"As for the activities in the Olympic venues, for example, the activities or other participants, we have to follow the IOC rules and regulations. This has been stipulated by the Olympic Charter, that is, within the Olympic area, commercial and non-commercial propaganda activities are not allowed, including activities of ethnical, political or religion propaganda. These activities are against the Olympic charter... Rule 51 of the Charter is about it."
-- Liu Shaowu, director of BOCOG's Security Department, speaking at a news conference on July 23, 2008 http://en.beijing2008.cn/live/pressconference/mpc/n214468695.shtml
"China's open door to the foreign media will not close after the Games. It is a long-term policy rather than a makeshift puff of wind. We are mapping out a new regulation that we are confident will make China's media still more open and transparent… We regard the May 12 earthquake and the Olympic Games as an important test of the media operation system reforms and will explore building a more open and transparent media system after the Games. The timely and transparent coverage of the May 12 earthquake functioned as a bridge, showing the world a real and open China. We always welcome goodwill and constructive criticism. We are confident of being challenged by journalists after 30 years of reform and opening-up."
-- Liu Binjie, General Administration of Press and Publication minister, quoted by China Daily on July 30, 2008 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-07/30/content_6890786.htm
