BEIJING, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao, meeting reporters one week before the Olympics, urged Friday that the Games not be politicized.
It was a manner of dealing with issues that "runs counter to the Olympic spirit and the shared aspirations of people all over the world," Hu said in a joint interview with journalists from 25 news organizations in Beijing.
"It is inevitable that people hold divergent views on issues, but politicizing the Olympics will not address those issues," Hu said.
Hu said hosting the Games was a "century-old aspiration of the Chinese people," Xinhua, China's state-run news agency, reported.
"As Beijing finally became the host of the Olympics after 100 years of longing, all Chinese people cherish this golden opportunity," Hu said.
