British PM defends Games visit

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that he looked forward to celebrating the Olympic spirit in Beijing, hitting back at a political rival who questioned his decision to attend the Games.

Brown told Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday that he expected both British and Chinese athletes to "perform to the maximum of their ability" and "celebrate genuine Olympic ideals of sportsmanship" at the ongoing Games.

"This is, I think, the most important message of the Olympics - that the world can be brought together through sport - and it is what I will be going to Beijing to celebrate," Brown was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

The British prime minister arrived in Beijing yesterday with his wife Sarah, and two young sons John and Fraser. He will attend the closing ceremony of the Games on Sunday.

Prior to his arrival in Beijing, he had to overcome efforts to politicize the Olympics.

In a public letter to opposition Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, who questioned Brown's attendance at the Olympics by citing concerns over "human rights", Brown said supporting China's "reengagement" in the world was in Britain's national interest.

"Support for the Games and engagement with China is not at the expense of human rights. It is integral to their promotion. China has made enormous social and economic progress over the last three decades, but much more remains to be done," he wrote.

Analysts said objections to Brown's Beijing trip reflect some European politicians' "contradictory attitudes" toward China.

"On the one hand, they realize the benefit of cooperating with a growing China. But on the other, they cannot overcome some paranoia regardless of China's obvious progress on many fronts," said Feng Zhongping, director of European studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

"Prime Minister Brown's disregard for calls to boycott the Olympics shows he wants engagement with China," Feng said.

Brown said Britain will maintain "close cooperation" on the Olympics with China once London takes over the flag from Beijing at the closing ceremony on Sunday

"We will certainly be drawing very positive lessons from China's ability to offer top-class facilities to competitors, and to cope with the pressure on its infrastructure caused by the many thousands of extra visitors to Beijing for the Games," Xinhua quoted Brown as saying.

Britain has been a big winner in Beijing, ranking third on the medals table as of yesterday, after China and the United States, with 17 golds.

Source:China Daily