Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 19, 1993 TAG: 9309190070
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
DATELINE: MONTE CARLO, MONACO LENGTH: Medium
The statements were intended to put an end to the controversy caused Friday when Chinese officials seemed to suggest they could retaliate against Atlanta to protest U.S. congressional opposition to Beijing's bid for the 2000 Games.
Beijing is one of five candidates in the race, which will be decided Thursday in a secret ballot by the International Olympic Committee. Western criticism of China's human rights record has emerged as a major issue in the contest. A majority of U.S. congressmen oppose the Beijing bid because of Communist China's human rights record.
Any threat - direct or indirect - of a boycott would be viewed with alarm by the IOC in the wake of the 1980 and 1984 tit-for-tat boycotts led by the United States and Soviet Union.
Zhang Baifa, chief executive of the Beijing bid committee, was quoted Friday in an Australian television interview as saying:
"If Congress can pass a resolution objecting to our bid for the 2000 Olympics, we could, frankly, boycott their Atlanta Games in 1996. If our bid fails, we could write to Congress to protest about their interference and justifying our revenge."
However, in a statement released Saturday through the official Xinhua news agency, Zhang said the reported comment was incorrect.
"An American friend told me that you have every reason to boycott the Atlanta Olympic Games, but I said that China sticks to its firm position that it fully supports the Olympic movement, and therefore we will not do that," Xinhua quoted Zhang as saying.
Chinese officials held a news conference later to clarify the position of He Zhenliang, head of the Chinese Olympic committee and an IOC vice president. On Friday, he ruled out a boycott but repeatedly refused to guarantee that China's athletes actually would go to Atlanta - apparently leaving open the door for China to stay away while citing another pretext.
In a statement read on his behalf Saturday, He finally pronounced the magic words: "The Chinese Olympic committee and the Chinese athletes will be in Atlanta for the centennial Olympics. The Chinese athletes will do their best to win the most medals possible in Atlanta."
He issued a similar written statement to the media and clarified his stand to the IOC executive board.
Beijing and Sydney, Australia, are considered the top contenders for the 2000 Games. The other candidates are Manchester, England; Berlin; and Istanbul, Turkey.
While Berlin Olympic committee officials scrambled for votes in Monte Carlo, about 15,000 people marched through the German capital Saturday to protest the city's bid for the Games.
Police said 10 people were arrested for vandalism after several cars were damaged by thrown objects and some buildings were spray-painted with anti-Olympic slogans.
About 3,000 police were on hand to control the crowd.
Leftists say the money should be spent on housing and other local improvements, rather than on facilitied for the Summer Olympics in the year 2000.
Police said the rally started with about 3,000 people, but picked up support as demonstrators marched through the city.
by CNB