Thu, May 10, 2001 page4

• IOC official defends Beijing vote

  With the International Olympic Committee soon to decide the host city for the 2008 Olympic Games, Wu Ching-kuo, the only IOC representative in Taipei, has drawn increasing media attention over his voting intentions. Yesterday, while speaking with `Taipei Times' reporter Crystal Hsu, he confirmed that he has decided to vote for Beijing and speculated on the city's prospects for success

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  Taipei Times: How will you vote on July 13 when the IOC convenes its annual meeting in Moscow?

  Wu Ching-kuo (吳經國): I intend to back Beijing's bid to stage the 2008 Olympic Games. I was appointed as an IOC representative in Taipei, not the IOC representative of Taipei. Thus, I have to look at the matter from a global perspective. Whichever candidate city can best promote the Olympic spirit of peace and love should win the bid. Staging the event could help China become more liberal, democratic and international. The issue has nothing to do with politics and should remain as such.

  TT: What are the prospects for Beijing's Olympics bid, based on your observations?

  

  Wu Ching-kuo gestures during an interview yesterday. Wu believes the Olympic Games would improve China's political and economic environment

  PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES

  Wu:one can say for sure which of the five candidate cities will win the bid. This is the second time Beijing has tried to host the summer games. The IOC tends to prefer the event to be staged in different parts of the world. Since Athens will host the 2004 games, I don't think Europe will be the venue for the 2008 games. If we leave out that continent, only Asia and North America are left. Both Canada and Japan have hosted the Olympics before, making Toronto and Osaka less likely winners.

  China, with its population of 1.2 billion, will be an ideal place to spread the Olympic ideal. What a great feat it will be if the message of peace can take root in the world's most populous country. Also, China won 28 gold medals in the 2000 Olympics, making it the third most successful country in terms of athletic performance. As more and more Chinese students enjoy a higher education overseas, China will have no shortage of people who speak English and other foreign languages. All these factors are to Beijing's advantage. I believe that many IOC members will agree with my observations.

  TT: What are the weaknesses of Beijing's bid?

  Wu: Which city can successfully stage the event is what matters most. The IOC has made clear it will not take human rights into consideration when deciding the host city. Beijing has been criticized for its poor environmental protection. But it has spent US$12.5 billion on improving the situation. Half of the [127] IOC members, however, have been appointed in the last eight years, and 60 percent of them have not had the chance to visit Beijing. Those new members are unaware of the progress Beijing has made during this period, as internal IOC rules bar members from visiting any candidate cities. For this reason, they will rely on the report of the evaluation team to form their voting decision.

  The report will be mailed to individual members later this month.

  TT: If Beijing wins the bid, will there be any benefit to Taiwan?

  Wu: In a way. The Olympic Games are a multi-billion dollar enterprise. If Beijing wins the bid, Taiwan can consider jointly staging the event. President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) gave his support for the idea on June 20 last year.

  I broached the proposal to Chinese sports officials. They have yet to comment on the proposed joint venture, on the grounds that it is more urgent to win the bid first.

  Nothing is impossible.

  TT: Did you vote for Beijing in 1993 when the IOC chose the host city for the 2000 Olympics?

  Wu: The same concerns guided my decision-making then as they do today. The allegations that I did not vote for Beijing show how ignorant the public is about the Olympics and IOC operations. Although the administration back then opposed Beijing's bid, it did not seek to influence my vote. All IOC members are independent of political influence. And no wise politician would commit the folly [of trying to influence an IOC representative's vote], which would only backfire.

  TT: Which city is Beijing's biggest rival?

  Wu: All the five candidate cities meet the IOC criteria, and all have the backing of some members. As no face-to-face lobbying is allowed, they can only depend on propaganda to promote their cause. All IOC members are required to be loyal to the IOC rather than their respective countries. Beijing is not the best but is certainly one of the most promising candidates. I'll lobby for it during the upcoming meeting in Moscow.
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