Chinese preparing for Olympics 'with hearts'

Danny Faure always finds a new face of Beijing every time he visits here. After getting used to the rapid development, this time what impressed him is the whole capital's sincerity to present a perfect Olympics.

"The Chinese are preparing for the Olympics with their hearts," the minister of finance of Seychelles, an African island country, told China Daily on the eve of the 100-day countdown of the Games, which fell yesterday.

The minister with Chinese blood from his great grandmother, who went to Seychelles in the 1800s seeking a trade route, is on a weeklong visit to China, which will also take him to the financial center of Shanghai and Haikou, capital city of Hainan province and sister city of the Seychellois capital, Victoria.

He has brought all his four children with him to Beijing, for the first time, "for something to remember".

"After I arrived in Beijing this time, the first impression I got was the whole transportation situation has changed," said Faure.

The congested bicycle flow he saw in 2000 during a visit as the minister of education, has shrunk dramatically. Instead, there is an effective subway network that can send you to the destinations in a short time, although there are still traffic jams on the ground during rush hours.

Also, the cleanliness of the city has improved tremendously. "The road, the gardens, the environment I see you have painted many buildings," he said.

But what impressed the minister most was people's passion. "Everybody is preparing. Like athletes preparing themselves to participate, the Chinese people are preparing themselves to welcome."

This passion has been echoed by many foreigners, including Seychelles President, James Alix Michel, who will lead a delegation to attend the Games, Faure said, adding that he opposed some Western politicians' calls for a boycott of the Games.

"Our policy has been one of non-interference, and we have always trusted and respected China's policies."

The minister's ongoing visit is likely to cast a profound impact on bilateral cooperation.

During the four-day stay in the capital, he met with Wang Linda, chairwoman of Yihai Property Holdings Group, who will become the first Chinese to invest in Seychelles' tourism sector by building a five-star hotel there "at any time this year".

The Chinese company will also manage the hotel and provide Chinese cuisine there.

Tourism is the primary pillar of the economy of Seychelles - the "pearls of the Indian Ocean" which is famous for its island scenery. The country, with a population of 85,000, received 160,000 tourists last year, mostly high-spending consumers.

However, only a small number of Chinese people visit the country every year.

"President Hu visited Seychelles in 2007 and put it on the tourism map (of China)," said Faure, "now it's the start of the change."

The minister also held talks with a group of Chinese entrepreneurs for concessionary loans to his country in the water and electricity sectors, and the purchase of two planes that will arrive in Seychelles this October for civilian use.

Another purpose of the visit is to get loans for more Chinese agricultural technology, which has helped the island country produce bigger watermelons in a shorter period, Faure added.

After 32 years of smooth bilateral relations, the people of Seychelles have "a very profound gratitude" to China for its support in various social sectors, including education, house-building projects and infrastructure development, said Faure.

The friendly emotions peaked when President Hu Jintao paid a state visit to the country, which covers a total land area of 455.38 sq km - less than half the size of Hong Kong.

(China Daily 05/01/2008 page6)