As the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games draw near, over 80 heads of state or government have confirmed they will attend the opening ceremony of the grand event, including US President George W. Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Many foreign news media including Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper and India's Hindu newspaper have published articles under headlines such as "China triumphs over attempt at Olympic boycott" to indicate the unpopularity of boycotting the Beijing Olympics.

Sarkozy used to be considered the most unlikely head of state to attend the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, due to his linking the Beijing Olympic Games with the so-called Tibet issue and the China human rights issue. However, he eventually announced that he will attend the opening ceremony as dual president of France and the European Council. French newspaper Le Figaro commented that Sarkozy's decision is a correct one, as to politicize the Olympics is just another form of racism under the "human rights banner."

French Senate President Christian Poncelet used to state clearly that France shouldn't say things about China's human rights issues, neither should it comment on China's so-called Tibet issue without knowing the exact situation of the region.

Speaker of the French National Assembly Bernard Accoyer said that the people disrupting the Olympic torch relay in Paris didn't represent France or the French people.

Though previous Olympic Games have been more or less affected by political factors, the Olympic spirit separates sports from politics. The Olympic Charter clearly states that any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with the Olympic Movement.

If there is any political significance of the Beijing Olympics, said Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, it would be "China's coming out party to celebrate its progress and opening up to the world."

There is an old Chinese saying, "How happy we are, to meet friends from afar!" Since ancient times China has always been a hospitable and friendly nation. The Chinese people regard the coming Beijing Olympics a perfect occasion to host friends from all over the world, as well as an opportunity to show to the world the real China.

The Beijing Olympic Games is not just a grand gathering of the 1.3 billion Chinese people, but also a gathering of all the peace-loving people around the world, it will propagate valuable virtues such as peace, friendship and cooperation. To politicize such a grand and happy ceremony will only hurt the feelings of all the peace-lovers, including the Chinese people, and tarnish the spirit of the Olympics. That is why rejecting the politicizing of the Olympics has always been the mainstream ideal in the international community.

(Xinhua News Agency July 15, 2008)