Roll Call April 9, 2001; 6:40 pm (EST)

China Warns Congress Not to Block Beijing's Olympic Bid

By Mark Preston and Ben Pershing

Members of Congress received a strongly worded letter from the Chinese government Monday warning the lawmakers not to try to block Beijing's bid for the 2008 Olympic Games, even as a standoff over the detention of 24 American airmen continued.

The American military personnel were still being held in China Monday after their plane made an emergency landing nine days ago following a mid-air collision with a Chinese fighter jet.

The letter, dated April 2 but only received by some Members Monday, reminded lawmakers that they have no official role in the Olympic site selection process.

"You are probably aware that it is entirely under the jurisdiction of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to judge whether a city is suitable for the Games," wrote Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Yang Jiechi. "That choice rests with the IOC and IOC alone. No individual or organization has the right to influence the IOC on the matter."

The letter, which Roll Call confirmed was received by Members in both chambers, goes on to say that bills offered in Congress to block BeijingÕs bid for the Games "constitute a gross interference in the internal affairs and inherent rights of the IOC" and "run counter to the spirit of the Olympic Charter which forbids discrimination against any country or individual, on the basis of race, religion, politics, sex or any other reason."

The ambassador also urged Congress not "to obstruct, under the pretext of human rights, Beijing's bid and China's efforts to contribute to the Olympic Movement, world peace and development."

Currently, there are resolutions pending in both the House and Senate "expressing the sense of Congress that the 2008 Olympic Games should not be held in Beijing unless the Government of the People's Republic of China releases all political prisoners, ratifies the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and observes internationally recognized human rights."

While the Senate version had just three co-sponsors as of Monday, the House version had 60 and had been placed on the House Calendar after the International Relations Committee approved it April 4 by a vote of 27-8. While some Members were already clearly opposed to BeijingÕs Olympic bid before the current standoff, the situation may serve to embolden those opponents as well as attract new lawmakers who have been angered by China's behavior.

"This is a time when diplomacy and nuance are critically important," said Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "The timing, tone and message of that kind of statement strikes me not only as insensitive to the reality of what we are facing today and to the concerns of the families of American servicepeople currently detained, but regrettable for those of us who have been outspoken and open-minded about the long-term important issues at the heart of the U.S.-China relationship."

Kunsheng Zhang, assistant to the Ambassador, confirmed the letterÕs authenticity Monday evening.

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2001