Chinadaily.com.cn sharing the Olympic spirit
    OLYMPICS/ News


    Volunteers guard the sacred flame
    By Qin Jize (China Daiy)
    Updated: 2008-04-18 06:42

     

    Chinese Olympic torch escorts who put their lives on the line to protect the sacred flame should be commended, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

    "They protect the world's holy fire with their bodies to prevent disruption and sabotage by Tibetan independence forces. Such spirit should be praised and understood," Jiang Yu said in a regular press briefing.

    "(Instead) The mobs which disrupt the relay should be universally condemned."

    She made the remarks when asked to comment on reports that Japanese Olympic officials have said the role of the Chinese torch guards in blue-and-white track suits would not be to provide security.

    Australian officials reportedly voiced the same objection to the guards' participation in the Canberra leg of the relay.

    Jiang stressed that the escorts are not law enforcement personnel but volunteers with a clear and sacred mission of protecting the safety, sanctity and dignity of the Olympic torch, and urged countries involved in the relay to aid their mission.

    She pointed out that the convention of having torch guards in the relay was approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

    "The practice has always been the same in past Games and the IOC has given it 100 percent support," Jiang said.

    The Olympic torch arrives in Nagano, central Japan, on April 26; and two Chinese flame attendants will run with torch bearers along an 18.5-km route, said an official of the relay's organizing committee in Nagano.

    Jiang yesterday again urged CNN to sincerely apologize and retract insulting remarks by one of its commentators who called the Chinese "goons and thugs" and Chinese products "junk".

    She said a statement issued by CNN on Tuesday "not only failed to sincerely apologize for commentator Jack Cafferty's remarks, but also spearheaded an attack on the Chinese government, attempting to incite the Chinese people against the government".

    She added China could never accept that. "The Chinese people cannot be bullied and humiliated.

    "We once again solemnly urge CNN to seriously deal with the matter, withdraw the vile remarks and make a sincere apology to all Chinese people", she said.

    The ministry summoned the CNN Beijing bureau chief on Wednesday to lodge a protest.

    Cafferty said on a TV show aired on April 9 that Chinese products were "junk" and the Chinese people were "basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they've been for the last 50 years".

    Cafferty's remarks drew indignation from Chinese at home and abroad. CNN then issued a statement on Tuesday saying "it was not Mr Cafferty's nor CNN's intent to cause offence to the Chinese people, and CNN would apologize to anyone who has interpreted the comments in this way".

    The network stated that Cafferty was offering his "strongly held" opinion of the Chinese government, not China's people.

    Agencies contributed to the story

    Comments of the article(total ) Print This Article E-mail
    PHOTO GALLERY
    PHOTO COUNTDOWN
    MOST VIEWED
    OLYMPIAN DATABASE
    99re只有精品8中文| 亚洲AV无码一区东京热久久| 亚洲精品无码MV在线观看| 熟妇人妻中文字幕| 国产在线无码不卡影视影院| 精品久久久久久久久久中文字幕| 成在线人AV免费无码高潮喷水| 日韩人妻无码一区二区三区综合部| 最近高清中文字幕无吗免费看| 久久久久亚洲AV无码永不| 五月婷婷在线中文字幕观看| 狠狠躁天天躁无码中文字幕 | 全球中文成人在线| 久久国产精品无码一区二区三区| 无码乱肉视频免费大全合集| 日韩精品一区二区三区中文| 中文国产成人精品久久亚洲精品AⅤ无码精品| 亚洲AV综合色区无码另类小说 | 区三区激情福利综合中文字幕在线一区 | JLZZJLZZ亚洲乱熟无码| 2014AV天堂无码一区| 久久e热在这里只有国产中文精品99| 中文无码人妻有码人妻中文字幕| 本免费AV无码专区一区| 色情无码WWW视频无码区小黄鸭| 中文字幕AV中文字无码亚| 国产成人无码AV麻豆| 亚洲日韩中文字幕日韩在线| 亚洲国产日韩欧美在线a乱码日本中文字幕高清 | 久久精品中文字幕一区| 久久久久成人精品无码| 久久久精品无码专区不卡| 无码国模国产在线无码精品国产自在久国产 | 亚洲国产精品无码一线岛国| 国产AV无码专区亚洲AV手机麻豆| 亚洲七七久久精品中文国产 | 国产av无码专区亚洲av果冻传媒 | 亚洲中文字幕无码久久2020| 四虎影视无码永久免费| 乱人伦中文无码视频在线观看| 久久亚洲AV无码精品色午夜 |