China will get the torch for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games from Greece. And with it will come loads of experience and expertise.

 

But that's quite natural, for Greece is the country where the Olympic Games were born. The first ancient Games were held in 776 BC, and continued for about 12 centuries, until Emperor Theodosius decreed in AD 393 that all such "pagan cults" be banned. The modern Olympic Games began in Greece, too, in 1896. More importantly, Greece in 2004 organized what many call a "dream game".

 

That dream is still alive. The slogan for the 2008 Games, One World, One Dream, is but only one example of how the spirit of the Olympics lives on.

 

"We gathered a wealth of knowledge, expertise and know-how from our 2004 experience, (and) we are more than willing and happy to pass those on to China, hoping it to contribute to a very successful 2008 Games," Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis told China Daily on Saturday.

 

"The Chinese have been very interested in our opinion and to learn from our experience. There has been a vibrant interchange of knowledge," Bakoyannis said. She was on an official visit to China from May 9 to 13 on the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Greece. With about 30 entrepreneurs in her entourage, she chose to land in China's economic hub of Shanghai first, before proceeding to Beijing.

 

Bakoyannis has visited China many times before. She has been witness to the gradual preparation for the Olympics. "Hosting the Games is certainly a challenge, but I am convinced it will be a great success," said Bakoyannis, who was the mayor of Athens when the last Olympic Games were staged there.

 

Above all, she reckons, the Beijing Games will be an impressive celebration of cultures and values. "China hasn't repeated our mistake of starting late. The construction of the venues has been rapid", and the simultaneous improvement in infrastructure is remarkable. She can see the Chinese people are determined and committed to stage a successful Games, she said.

 

"I sincerely hope that by the end of the 2008 Olympics, the Chinese people like the Greeks will have memories tied intimately to the Olympic spirit of friendship and working with each other toward a common and worthy goal," Bakoyannis said.

 

Being the mayor of Athens before and during the 2004 Olympics, Bakoyannis experienced the event "from the inside" from the beginning to the end. So she knows the thrills and tensions that come with the Games.

 

Greece is ready to share all those experiences with China, she told Liu Qi, president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) at a meeting on Thursday. "We are here to help, if help is needed, to make the 2008 Olympics a great success."

 

The forthcoming Olympic Games is not the only thing that Bakoyannis is excited about. "The year of 2008 will also be the "Year of Greece in China". We are delighted because it will strengthen our cultural ties further," she said. The "Year of Greece in China", to start later this year, will be a wonderful opportunity through which the two great civilizations can feel the beating of hearts and thinking of minds despite being thousands of miles apart.

 

"The passing of the Olympic torch from Athens to Beijing will serve as a strong chain in our friendship and mutual respect," she said.

 

After all, besides competing and winning, the Olympics is about peace and cooperation. Think of the sacred truth, or ekcheiria, brought about during the month of the ancient Olympics. Messengers, known as spondorophoroi, carried the word of the truce and announced the date of the Games all over the Greek world. The truce called for a cessation of all hostilities for one month (later three months) to allow for the safe travel of athletes to and from Olympia.

 

Greece and China both are ancient civilizations with a rich history and culture, hence they know the importance of cooperation, she said, inviting Chinese people to visit her country and "meet hospitable people, enjoy its wonderful beaches and get a taste of its delicious and healthy cuisine".

 

"I am sure the Chinese people will find our ancient history and monuments both interesting and educational." Even as she was urging more Chinese to look westward, more of her countrymen were getting interested in the East, especially China because of its economic miracle, she conceded.

 

"Greeks are so interested in Chinese civilization because China is not only full of ancient treasures, but is also a dynamic modern society," Bakoyannis said. "This blend of the ancient and the modern is captivating for us."

 

(China Daily May 15, 2007)