Games increases global understanding of China

"China's role as our Olympic host has opened a window to the world's most populous nation," International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge has said. "We have already seen the courage and determination of the Chinese people in another contest."

First of all, the opening ceremony of the 29th Olympic Games was a shining show that amazed the world's people. The opening ceremony of the Games would be the most superb and moving chapter to be recorded into the modern Olympic movement, noted the Associated Press in a commentator's article. At the ceremony, Chinese ace athlete Li Ning, basketball hero Yao Ming and a 9-year-boy Lin Hao, a pupil from the quake hit area in southwest China province of Sichuan, gave a most vivid representation of the Olympic spirit. According to a latest poll conducted in the United States, 74 percent of the Americans surveyed deem that the Beijing Games have conveyed the aim of "promoting world peace".

During the summer Games in Beijing, competitions have reached one climax after another, as all Olympic athletes are heroes and winners, who have chalked up more records than in any previous games. The "super flying fish" swimmer Michael Phelps won eight golds and made Americans feel proud of him for his "miracle". At the same time, quite a few athletes from a couple of tiny and relatively smaller nations who did not "destine" for gold medals, have amazed the global audience with their superb, astonishing feats, and mounted the podium one after another to receive their medals.

The current Olympics does not merely pose a grand sport gathering to the world, but has enabled the countries around the globe to witness the fine mentality of Chinese people. Audience in China have often cheered for their athletes, regardless of their successes for failures, and do not betray to the least a sense of parochial nationalism, notes a "Washington Post" report.

Meanwhile, "Smiling volunteers win another Olympic gold for Beijing," said a "New York Times" article. "Of the host city's 1.7 million volunteers," it acknowledges, "about 100,000 are working at the Games sites 鈥�mainly the competition venues and the Olympic village." They feel so happy, so polite and so friendly whenever they contact or communicate with guests, and their warmth and courtesy are permeated throughout the city of Beijing, urban and rural areas alike, instead of being confined to the Games venues.

"China's rise is an example of how the ideal of a harmonious collective may turn out to be as attractive as the ideal of the American Dream," concluded a signed commentaor's article in the "New York Times".

Since the opening of the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing, there has been much more mainstream media coverage of China in the U.S. and the amount of positive reports has far exceeded that of articles for criticism and reproaches. So, the Beijing Olympic Games is helping the world to know and unerstand China even better and in a more objective, comprehensive way.

In another development, in view of the Olympic Game two-thirds way through, Games venues have been in an overall smooth operation to the welcome of athletes, viewers and all those concerned.

Since the opening of the Games, varied sports venues in the national capital have received some 34,000 athletes, 28,000 accompanying officials, close to 100,000 trips of reporters and cameramen, and more than 4.3 million visits by viewers or spectators. Meanwhile, the Olympic Park, the central area to holding Olympic sports, has also received more than 1.3 million trips of visitors.

In 31 Olympic venues in Beijing, their average seat-occupation rate has surpassed 80 percent. Moreover, no mishaps whatsover in public order or security have ever occurred in these venues, let alone the incidence of any criminal, law-violation cases.

The Olympic village, located in the northwest corner of Beijing's Olympic Park, has actually accommodated more than 127,000 athletes. The Olympic Hotel receives more than 1,600 guests, and the media village for the Beijing Games is inhabited by reporters and cameramen from 1,110 media units worldwide hosted by the Olympic Press Center.

Moreover, by August 20, the official website of the Beijing Olympic Games has been visited by an average of close to 200 million netizens daily, and over 45 percent of these netizens have made calls in English.

Furthermore, the overall good manner and behavior of Chinese spectators, the moving and thriving atmosphere of the Games venues, as well as the first-rate hardware facilities and equipment in these venues have created very favorable conditions for the smooth operation or performance of Games competitions.

IOC President Jacques Rogge affirms the operation of Beijing Games venues. "The organization was outstanding and we had competition in state-of-art venues," said Rogger, who described the security precaution was "flawless".

By People's Daily Online and its authors are Li Xuejiang, a top PD resident journalist in the U.S., and other reporters covering the Game