Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Nov. 1, 2004. c

Chinese President Hu Jintao met with Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on the afternoon of November 1.

Hu Jintao said, as an important international sports organization, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been playing a significant role in promoting the lofty deeds of world peace and progress, and enhancing the mutual understanding and friendship among people of all the countries. The spirit and aim advocated by Olympics have been spread and promoted more and more widely.

Hu added that the IOC holding the summing-up meeting on Athens Olympic Games in Beijing provided a good opportunity for Beijing to learn. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) will seriously borrow the successful experience from the Athens Games, make innovation in their ideas and improve the measures in a bid to further make good preparations for the 2008 Games.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the preparatory work for the 2008 Olympic Games and will continue supporting Beijing, based on the concept of "Green Olympics, Hi-tech Olympics, People's Olympics", to make the 2008 Olympics high-level games. China hopes that IOC could continue offering its guidance and assistance to BOCOG and is willing to strengthen exchange and cooperation with IOC, Hu said.

Rogge expressed his thanks to the meeting with Hu Jintao and congratulations to Athens Olympic Games for the great success as wll as the Chinese athletes for their excellent performance. Rogge felt very satisfied with the preparations done by BOCOG. He believed, with the support of the Chinese government, Beijing surely will hold wonderful Olympic Games.

Liu Qi, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), secretary of the Beijing Municipal CPC Committee and president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), and three executive BOCOG presidents: Yuan Weimin, head of the State General Sports, Wang Qishan, mayor of Beijing and Deng Pufang, chairman of China Disabled Persons' Federation, were present at the meeting.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge gestures during a press conference in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 1, 2004.

Rogge: Good Games ahead

Rogge tried to erase Beijing's money worries on Monday, saying that hosting the Games will benefit the country. He asked the city to separate its general development budget from the actual Olympic operational budget, which he believes will be balanced or even profitable due to partial coverage from the IOC.

"We have no advice to give on the investment budget for the city, this is the responsibility for the city, for China to decide," said Rogge at a news conference in Beijing. "All of our advice will be on the operational budget which we are working out with the organizing committee and we hope it will be balanced or in profit," he said.

The IOC boss, who took over the post from former president Juan Antonio Samaranch in 2001, said the IOC will pay 60 per cent of the operational budget while another 40 per cent will be met by local sponsorships and ticket sales. The combination is likely to leave a profit for Olympic organizers.

"Since the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984, this budget always delivers a profit and this profit is distributed to the national Olympic committee of the host country and to the city for the investment in sports." He pointed to the Athens Games as an example, saying that the IOC is almost certain it will be balanced or profitable, although the financial reports on the Games are yet to be published.

Concerning investment and venue construction budget, Rogge said it is going to lift the city and leave an Olympic legacy."That is the reason why we have so many countries after Beijing (bidding for the Olympic Games)," the president said.

He added "there will be no frugal Games, there will be only good Games." "The Games will be excellent at a very good level according to the contract we have signed with China."

Rogge said he had "no concerns" on Beijing's planning of the Games. An IOC delegation arrived in Beijing last week and toured sites where Olympic facilities will be built. "We are confident. We are vigilant. We support the organizing committee and we are happy. No concerns whatsoever," Rogge said.

"We are now halfway through Beijing's preparation time and this is always a very crucial period. It is a period where you have to move from pure planning to the operational mode," the IOC president said.

By People's Daily Online