Special report:
2008 Olympic
Games
BEIJING, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Canadian pop star Celine
Dion voiced her support for the upcoming Beijng Olympic Games here on Saturday,
saying she was "definitely against boycotting" the Games.
"When you talk about the Olympics, you don't say
politics," she said at a press conference. "We talk about power. We talk about
love. And we talk about dreams."
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Canadian singer Celine Dion (R) and her
husband Rene Angelil (C) attend a TV program in Beijing, China, April 12,
2008. Celine Dion expressed her admiration for and blessing to Beijing and
the 2008 Beijing Olympics during a press conference on Saturday. (Xinhua
Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
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The Quebec native sang the theme song for the 1996
Atlanta Olympic Games, the "Power of the Dream".
Dion called on all people to "keep the dream possible
for our young kids".
She came to Beijing to express support for the Games
after her concert in Shanghai on Friday.
On Saturday, the chanteuse received a gift sculpture
from Zhao Dongming, director of the cultural activities department of the
Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG).
On finding out the name of the sculpture, "eternal
flame", Dion said "keep the flame eternal."
Many foreign governments and senior officials have
expressed support for the Beijing Olympic Games, condemning the deeds of those
disrupting the Olympic torch relay and politicizing the sports event.
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Canadian singer Celine Dion (R) and her
husband Rene Angelil attend a TV program in Beijing, China, April 12,
2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
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Baleka Mbete, Speaker of South Africa's National
Assembly, said on Friday at a press conference for the 118th Assembly of the
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) that appeals for boycotting the Olympics and
disrupting the torch relay would never gain popular support.
She said any person with conscience would condemn
such deeds of obstructing the Olympic Games that was a grand sports occasion for
the entire human race.
IPU Secretary General Anders B. Johnsson also told
the press conference that the IPU was strongly opposed to violent deeds and was
against any act of obstructing the Olympic Games.
The Republic of Korea (ROK), Thailand, Peru,
Afghanistan and many other countries also expressed support.