On the eve of the arrival of the International Olympic Committee's evaluation commission, Beijing Mayor Liu Qi said the Chinese capital will show itself in a frank manner and he hopes foreign media will make objective reporting on China.

"We will not paper over our shortcomings," Liu said on Sunday, February 18. "We don't worry about this, for we are making fast progress and confident to be true to our commitments."

"I hope foreign media will make objective descriptions of developing China," added Liu, also the President of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Bidding Committee.

The 17-member IOC evaluation commission will start their four-day inspection of Beijing next Wednesday. Beijing is the first candidate to meet IOC assessment.

Liu applauded the idea that the IOC inspectors' mission is essentially technical not political in nature.

"The politics should not be mixed with sports," Liu said. "We are firmly opposed to any attempts to foil Beijing's bid on the excuse of human rights."

IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch had explained the inspectors' mission in a letter to head of the IOC evaluation commission Hein Verbruggen.

Samaranch writes that the IOC Executive Board considers the role of the Evaluation Commission is to evaluate the ability of each candidate city under the best possible conditions for all participants -- primarily the athletes.

Liu said that political discrepancies cannot justify the criticism on Beijing's bidding, which has enjoyed nationwide support.

"China has been conducting dialogue with the world on the human rights issues," Liu said. "We believe these political problems should not prevent the Chinese from realizing their aspiration to see the Games to be staged in Beijing."

(People's Daily 02/19/01)