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Letter from the Editor Letter from the Editor Letter from the Editor Letter from the Editor April 2004 Letter from the Editor, March 2004

Letter from the Editor

We are pleased to add our voice to the assertion by Beijing Mayor Liu Qi that "China's time has come to stage an Olympics". His bold statement coincided with the arrival in the capital on February 20 of a 17-member International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission which spent four days giving the city its final inspection before the full 131-member IOC decides on July 13 which of five candidate cities will host the 2008 Olympic Games.

Mayor Liu, also president of Beijing's bid committee, BOBICO, made it clear that the choice of host for the Games had nothing to do with politics or human rights, statements in which we also concur. He said the Olympics belonged to all mankind, and that China, home to one-fifth of humanity and which had a great sporting tradition, had never hosted a Games. He cited a letter by IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch to the Evaluation Commission reminding it to consider only the ability of candidate cities to host the Games, and to rule out political issues.

Awaiting the July 13 vote is going to be nail-bitingly tough for many people, especially the members of BOBICO, who have worked -- and continue to work -- themselves to a frazzle in their virtual round-the-clock efforts to win the Games for this wonderful new-look city of ours. Beijing's and the country's indebtedness to them is incalculable.
Good luck Beijing! Come 2008, we look forward to a superb summer Games in our own backyard.

Our coverage this month includes Olympics' matters and personalities, and International Women's Day, which falls on March 8. The latter enables us to highlight progress being made by women in Beijing and the country, and to pay tribute to an inspirational young former top Chinese gymnast, Sang Lan, whose courage in face of crippling injury is remarkable. We also profile some of the "unsung heroines" of Beijing, the fascinating Courtyard Art Gallery, the world's only red-sandalwood museum, China's top fashion model, two unique dining venues, and much more.

Enjoy!