The negative reporting about Beijing Olympics by some overseas media is destined to prove wrong, said Zhao Qizheng, former head of the Information Office of the State Council, on Thursday.

"Some western media, having failed in advocating a boycott of the Beijing Olympics, now move to rubbish it as a failure in the making," said Zhao, a member of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). "Their scheme is doomed to fail too."

The Beijing Olympics is a great event for the world. China, as host country, is willing to take this opportunity to enhance exchanges with foreigners, Zhao said.

However, he noted, some "unfriendly powers and media" have taken the opportunity to pressure China into political transformation.

"They show a tendency of 'pushing the Olympics onto social issues and politicizing the Olympics' in their reports, and associate some international and social problems with the sports gala, which is unfair to China," Zhao said.

He cited the example of Hollywood director Steven Spielberg's withdrawal as artistic consultant of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG).

Appointed by the BOCOG in April 2006, the world-renowned American movie director announced his decision in mid-February to stay away from the Olympics, citing concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, which he believed the Chinese government could do more to prevent.

"He is an artist whose understanding in the international political arena and of China's situation, as I believe, may be limited," Zhao said.

"If he comes to China to experience the Olympics, he would change his attitude in later media interviews," noted Zhao.

Spielberg's resignation aroused bafflement and criticism from Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, also a member of the CPPCC National Committee.

The Chinese director, who will mastermind the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, said it was "very regrettable" that Spielberg had made such a decision, adding it would not affect the opening ceremony of the Games.

(Xinhua News Agency March 7, 2008)