Special report:   2008 Olympic Games 

    BEIJING, March. 26 (Xinhua) -- Commenting on French President Nicolas Sarkozy's comment that "all options are open" regarding an Olympics boycott, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman says the world should follow the Olympic spirit and not politicize the Games.

    Spokesman Qin Gang said Wednesday afternoon that the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is a grand event not only for the Chinese people, but also people across the whole world. China hopes to enhance understanding, friendship and cooperation with the world through this sports event.

    "We believe that the Beijing Olympic Games will certainly achieve success with the support of the world people," he said.

China strongly criticizes French officials' remarks on Tibet, Dalai

    BEIJING, March 26 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday seriously criticized two French officials' remarks on the Tibetan riots and the Dalai Lama, saying the riots were a secessionist, violent incident planned by the Dalai Lama, an exiled politician.

    French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Tuesday he could not tolerate China's "crackdown" in the Tibet Autonomous Region, while French human rights junior minister Rama Yade said she would definitely meet with the Dalai Lama if the latter visited France. Full story

Chinese FM says article in 'The Times' insulting

    BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Tuesday that the comparison of Beijing Olympics with Nazi Germany's 1936 Berlin Olympics by "The Times" was "an insult to the Chinese and world people".

    Qin made the remarks at a regular press conference when asked to comment on an article by former British Conservative Cabinet Minister and ex-Defence Secretary Michael Portillo in "The Times" who wrote that China is using the Olympic Games for its own self-aggrandizement. Full story