Chinese President Hu Jintao on Sunday visited the construction sites of major venues for the 2008 Olympic Games and conveyed greetings to workers for their contribution in days when most of the people in the country are enjoying the week-long National Day holiday.

  

Hu stressed that to hold the Olympic Games is a dream of all ethnic groups in the country and a desire the nation has been conceiving for long.

  

"We should try our best to make the Beijing Olympic Games successful so as to strengthen the people's confidence and go-aheadism, intensify the cohesion of the nation and drive the people to struggle for the great national revival," Hu said.

 

Hu said he is quite glad to know that the construction is going on well.

  

Noting that there were no more than two years left before the opening of the Olympic Games, Hu urged all concerned departments and work staff to further strengthen the sense of responsibility, work more arduously and cooperatively and make down-to-earth preparations for the big event.

  

He listened to reports on scientific innovations by engineers while visiting the National Stadium, also well-known as the "Bird's Nest".

  

"You have left a glorious mark in China's construction history, with delicate designs, excellent construction work and brave technological breakthroughs," Hu said to technicians at the site.

  

He also visited the National Aquatics Center, landmark architecture of the 2008 Games known as the "Water Cube".

  

When visiting the National Gymnasium, Hu walked into the workers' sheds and chatted with them amiably, asking them about their work conditions, payments and workplace injury insurance.

  

He also required improving management and supervision to ensure openness and transparency in capital using and the operation of construction projects.

 

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 2, 2006)