Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge in Beijing on Wednesday.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R) meets with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge in Beijing, capital of China, April 9, 2008.

Wen expressed gratitude to the IOC and Rogge for their valuable support to the preparations of the Beijing Olympic Games and admiration for the contribution he had made to the development of the Olympic Movement and the enhancement of mutual understanding and peace among people from different countries and regions.

Wen said that the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games would be a great event for the people from the world and the Beijing 2008 torch relay is being held all over the world.

He added that the Olympic Flame is a symbol of peace, friendship, advancement and brightness, representing the common pursuits and wishes of the mankind for the bright future and we believed that the Olympic flame, which belongs to all mankind, would never extinguish.

Wen said that the Chinese government and the 1.3 billion Chinese people would work hard in all aspects of preparations for the Beijing Olympic Games, enhance cooperation with the international society and make sure China could successfully stage a high level Olympic Games with distinctive features and fulfill China's commitments to the world.

Rogge said that since their last meeting in 2006, excellent work has been done by BOCOG. He also said that China will be ready for the Games and it was the right decision to award the Games to Beijing in 2001.

Rogge expressed hope that Beijing 2008 torch relay will go on in a peaceful and smooth way. And he believes that the Chinese government has the ability to appropriately solve issues that have appeared recently.

(Xinhua News Agency April 10, 2008)