将达尔富尔问题同北京奥运会挂钩是“完全不可理喻的”

王　娜

LONDON, Feb. 21 (Xinhua)—A visiting senior Chinese diplomat said here Thursday that it was “totally unreasonable” to link Sudans Darfur issue with the Beijing Olympics in August.

Liu Guijin, special representative of the Chinese government to Darfur issue, attends a news conference held at the Chinese Embassy in London, Britain, Feb. 21, 2008.

It was also “dangerous” to politicize the Olympics in the long run, said Liu Guijin, special representative of the Chinese government to Darfur issue, said at a news conference held at the Chinese Embassy in London.

Liu told reporters that he was very surprised by Oscar-winning film director Steven Spielbergs resignation as an artistic adviser to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The Beijing Olympic organizing committee had sent Spielberg a recruitment letter, he had not signed it by the deadline of May 10 last year, said Liu, adding “theoretically he was not art director to the Beijing Olympic games.”

“It was a great surprise for me that he should have resigned. There is no such question of resignation,” Liu said. Liu said that he met Spielberg in New York last year and they had an in-depth discussion on Darfur issue including Chinas stance on the issue.

“I told him at that time: Mr Spielberg, I know that you are no longer an art adviser to the Beijing Olympics but still I would like to discuss the question with you,” said Liu, 61, a veteran diplomat, also a former ambassador to Zimbabwe and South Africa, and has been engaged in African affairs for more than 25 years.

Spielberg announced on Feb. 13 his decision to quit the upcoming Olympics as an artistic advisor, citing concerns over the violence in Darfur, which he linked to the Chinese government.

International Olympic Committee(IOC) President Jacques Rogge shrugged off the controversy caused by Spielbergs decision to withdraw as an artistic consultant to the Beijing Olympics, stressing that IOC is “a sporting, not a political association”.

Asked to comment on Spielbergs decision, U.S. President George W. Bush said that he would attend the 2008 Beijing Olympics as scheduled, adding that he had no reason to use the Olympics as a way to highlight political issues.

伦敦，2月21日（新华社）——星期四一位到访的中国外交官表示把苏丹达尔富尔问题同将于8月举行的北京奥运会联系起来“完全是不可理喻的”。

中国政府达尔富尔问题特使刘贵金，参加了2008年2月21日在伦敦中国大使馆举行的新闻发布会。

在伦敦中国大使馆举行的新闻发布会上，中国政府达尔富尔问题特使刘贵金表示，从长远看将奥运会政治化也是非常危险的。

刘贵金告诉记者，他对奥斯卡获奖电影导演史蒂文·斯皮尔伯格辞去2008北京奥运会艺术顾问一职感到惊讶。

刘贵金说，北京奥组委曾向斯皮尔伯格发出过聘书，但直到去年5月10日截止日他还没有签订协议。他还补充道：“从理论上来说，斯皮尔伯格并不是北京奥运会的艺术指导。”

“他已经‘辞职的消息让我很震惊，因为不存在辞职的问题。”

刘贵金表示，去年他在纽约会见了斯皮尔伯格并就达尔富尔问题，包括中国在这一问题上的立场进行了深入的讨论。

刘贵金说：“那一次我告诉他：斯皮尔伯格先生，我已经知道你再也不是北京奥运会开闭幕式的艺术顾问了，但我还是愿意同你讨论这个问题。” 61岁的刘贵金是一名经验丰富的外交官，曾任中国驻津巴布韦和南非大使，涉及非洲事务超过25年之久。

斯皮尔伯格于2月13日宣布决定放弃即将到来的奥运会开闭幕式艺术顾问一职，同时他表示了对达尔富尔地区的暴力的担忧，并将达尔富尔问题同中国政府联系起来。

对于斯皮尔伯格决定放弃北京奥运会艺术顾问所引起的争议，国际奥委会主席杰克斯·罗格不以为然，他强调，国际奥委会是一个“体育的、非政治性的组织。”

在被问及对斯皮尔伯格这一决定的看法时，美国总统乔治·W·布什表示他将如期参加2008北京奥运会，他说利用奥运会作为强化政治问题的手段是没有道理的。