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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, February 26, 1993                   TAG: 9302260117
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BEIJING                                LENGTH: Short

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CHINA: DON'T LET POLITICS DECIDE OLYMPICS SITE

The minister of sports said Thursday that the success of Beijing's bid to hold the Summer Olympics should not hinge on political considerations such as the 1989 crackdown on China's democracy movement.

Beijing is one of seven cities seeking to be host for the 2000 Summer Games and is seen as a top contender along with Sydney, Australia. The Chinese government desperately wants to put on the Olympics to affirm China's place in the modern world.

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