PARIS, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- China has spared no efforts in hosting the 2008 Olympics, presenting the world a great country which is rising peacefully, said France's ex-prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin in an interview with Xinhua.

    Jean-Pierre Raffarin, the French ex-prime minister who accompanied President Nicolas Sarkozy at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, referred to the ceremony as a great success.

    The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics was magnificent and gorgeous, Raffarin said. China made full use of this opportunity to show the audience worldwide its traditional culture as well as great achievements like the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China, said Raffarin, who was former French prime minister from May 2002 to June 2005.

    Meanwhile, Raffarin said he was very impressed about the the smooth progress of the ongoing Beijing Olympic Games.

    Raffarin said during his stay in Beijing, he had witnessed the tremendous efforts by the Chinese government in the organization of the event.

    China has, in a modest manner during the Games, shown the world its image as a peacefully rising country with its Olympic motto of "One World, One Dream," he said.

    The Beijing Olympics, along with the upcoming 2010 Shanghai World Exposition, is a proof of China's further opening-up drive, he said, noting that China has gradually integrated itself into the world in various fields over the past 30 years.

    The Beijing Games has demonstrated China's capability as a modern country, he said.

    As an increasingly important player on the international arena, China is set to shoulder more responsibilities in the future, he said.