French firms will play a very important role in constructing a "green" Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, said President Yu Xiaosong of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) here Friday.
At the closing ceremony of the Ninth China-France Economic Forum, Yu said many French firms would play an important role in Olympic construction owing to their rich experience in environmental protection as well as their strong will to participate in Olympic projects.
Yu said he was satisfied with the successful holding of the two-day forum, which was themed on the Olympics and sustainable development and attended by hundreds of Chinese and French representatives. The forum has been held annually since 1995 by the CCPIT and the France-China Committee.
President of the France-China Committee Denis Kessler said modern Olympic construction required cooperation from public and private sectors. Companies from other countries could participate in stadium construction, transportation, telecommunications and accommodation.
The "Green Olympics" accorded with the environmental protection concept advocated by France, he said, noting Olympic villages could be energy-saving models, and new technology for traffic control could alleviate urban traffic jams.
At the forum, leading French firms, including Michelin, VivendiEnvironment and the Suez Group, demonstrated their achievements and new technology in environmental protection and recycling, he said, expressing their wish to enhance cooperation with China in the "Green Olympics."
(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2003)
