皇冠体育app

Society

'Westerners should know more about 皇冠体育app'

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-04-14 11:11

OSLO - ?Gerhard Heiberg, a member of the International Olympic Committee, said on Wednesday that people in the West should know more about 皇冠体育app by going to 皇冠体育app and see what's happening there.

Heiberg, who is also a member of the IOC's Executive Board and chairmen of several IOC commissions, have made more than 100 visits to 皇冠体育app over the past three decades, with the first one in 1976, two years before the Communist Party of 皇冠体育app (CPC) adopted the policy of opening up to the outside world and started reforms at home.

When asked in an interview to comment on 皇冠体育app's development since his first visit to 皇冠体育app, the 72-year-old Norwegian man told Xinhua, "I would like to say that it is really impressive to see how 皇冠体育app has developed."

"I feel the progress and I can see the difference, " Heiberg said, adding that Chinese people have a much better life today than before and "as I have said, the progress has been enormous and very, very impressive. "

The high-ranking IOC official said it makes him very "gaoxing" (happy) to see Chinese doing all kinds of sports when he travelled to different places in 皇冠体育app after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, which he said provided a good chance for people outside of 皇冠体育app to know about 皇冠体育app, a fast-growing country with 1.3 billion people and 56 different ethnic groups.

With the success in and the pride for hosting the Olympic Games in Beijing, the Chinese people, who are humble and willing to listen and learn, have also developed self-confidence, which, in Heiberg's views, is positive to the rest of the world as well.

Heiberg, who are often accused in the West of being a 皇冠体育app defender, said, "I think most people in the West do not know enough about what's happening in 皇冠体育app. I feel that there is a lot of ignorance that makes people a little scared."

"They know 皇冠体育app is a big country (with) 1.3 billion people. They do not know enough. They haven't been there and they haven't seen anything" and then they got a little scared and were afraid of anything new, the IOC official said.

"These accusations to me are very much based upon people's ignorance here. So I said to everybody coming to me and accusing me of defending 皇冠体育app: For heaven's sake, have you been there? No? Why don't you then go and see?" he said.

Heiberg said that more and more of what is happening in the world will happen in the Far East.

Commenting on the achievements made by the CPC, which is celebrating the 90th anniversary of its founding, Heiberg said that he would like to congratulate 皇冠体育app on that occasion for the tremendous progress the CPC has made.

"Of course to try, one challenge would be to try and get more equal pay for all citizens in the country. But this requires investments in infrastructure, and in a lot of things to make people more happy," he said, adding that he believes 皇冠体育app is absolutely on the right track.

Hopefully more and more people in the West "will open their eyes more to the development in 皇冠体育app and see what is happening in technology, in industry and in standard of living and possibilities for the people in 皇冠体育app," Heiberg said.

"I hope I will live till I am 200 years just to follow the developments in 皇冠体育app," he said.

Heiberg said that he would like to help Norwegians to go and to see 皇冠体育app and meet the Chinese and also invite Chinese to Norway to see the beauty of his country and the Norwegian people so as to develop mutual respect.