Chairman of the Egyptian-Chinese Friendship Association Youssef Wali has said that the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games will help the world better understand host country China.

In a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua, Wali said the Beijing Olympics will be a historic event for China and the world as well.

The opening ceremony on August 8 will be a special platform for China to showcase its unique and long civilizational history, and advances of recent years, he added.

The Beijing Olympics will attract people from around the world, some of whom will be in Beijing to attend the opening ceremony and the sports event, while others will enjoy the Games via TV networks across the globe, said Wali.

The Games will be a good chance for China to display achievements made over recent years in various fields, noted the Egyptian official.

China has achieved rapid progress in social and economic development since the reform and opening-up of the late 1970s, winning international respect, he pointed out.

"The Beijing Olympics will be a real chance for the world to better understand China," he said, adding that China will prove its capability by hosting the historic Games.

In fact, China has already proved its wisdom and capability in its preparatory work for the Olympics and won the respect of the world, said Wali, who has been chairman of the association for some 38 years, and is committed to boosting friendly ties between Egypt and China.

"The fact that Beijing has been chosen by the world to host the 2008 Olympic Games shows China has an important role in the international community," he emphasized.

Established in 1958, the Egyptian-Chinese Friendship Association celebrated its 50th anniversary in May.

Wali said the Egyptian people are paying much attention to the Beijing Olympics because of the traditional friendship between the two countries, and that Egypt will attend the sporting event with great enthusiasm.

According to earlier reports, Egypt will dispatch a 150-strong delegation, including about 100 athletes, to participate in the Beijing Games.

In the Athens Olympics in 2004, the Egyptian team won five medals including one gold, one silver and three bronzes.

"Egyptians are looking forward to the Beijing Games, expecting the international event to become the stage for China to showcase its great civilization and modern achievements," said Wali.

(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2008)