Leaked IOC Beijing Media Kit
Article | Beijing 2008 | IOC | Politics
German public service broadcaster Südwestrundfunk recently obtained this 48-page IOC media kit for Beijing 2008 (or 'One-Year-to-Go Countdown Resource'). Marked CONFIDENTIAL – FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY, it offers an intriguing insight into the way the IOC views itself and its relations with the media, governments and NGOs and protest groups.
Material includes a statement of what the IOC thinks its role is, Basic Communications Guidelines ("The IOC is under no obligation to provide more information than is necessary in responding to media or other group’s questions") and an extensive FAQ providing responses to potential interview questions on controversial topics. The section on NGOs and campaign groups, such as Amnesty International and Free Tibet, catalogues their areas of focus and planned campaign activities.
The 'Risk Areas' section summarises problem areas, such as Environmental Quality and Corruption, that the IOC has identified, and its policy viewpoint.
There are some wonderfully enigmatic phrases - "The Olympic Movement shines a spotlight without discriminating on what it illuminates". Repeated claims that it is "better to open the door to China rather than to leave it closed" are unfortunate given that the Olympics is making it harder to get into China now than for many years (Chinese visa policy threatens Olympic tourism)
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Submitted by Charles Batsworth on Tue, 05/08/2008 - 11:59.
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China cuts business visas for Olympics
From:Financial Times, Geoff Dyer and Jamil Anderlini in Beijing, July 24 2008
China has issued new restrictions on business visas for the next two months as the government steps up its campaign to keep out unwelcome foreigners at next month’s Olympic Games.
Several of the main cities hosting the Olympics have said they will stop issuing visas for general business trips until late September, after the games and the Paralympics are over.
International business organisations in China warned on Thursday that the new visa rules were likely to have a significant impact on business. “The introduction of such restrictions without warning creates serious problems for companies operating in China,” said the European Union Chamber of Commerce in Beijing.
In a statement posted on its website, the Shanghai Foreign Economic Relations and Trade Commission, which deals with visa applications, said it would not approve the invitation letters needed to secure a business visa until mid-September unless the trip was for “urgent” matters.
The new rules, which were the result of central government instructions, were designed to “ensure the smooth hosting of the Olympics and safeguard the city’s social stability during the Olympics”. Shanghai is hosting a number of Olympics football matches.
More at: China cuts business visas for Olympics. FT