Kissinger against politicizing Olympics

Special report:   2008 Olympic Games

    NEW YORK, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. Secretary of State and honorary member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Henry Kissinger has said the Olympics should be separated from politics, and that he expects to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing games this summer.

    "I think one should separate Olympics as a sporting event from whatever political disagreements people may have had with China," Kissinger said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

    "I expect that the games will proceed in the spirit for which they were designed, which is friendship among nations, and that other issues are discussed in other forums."

    Kissinger, who was elected an honorary member of the IOC in 2000, said China has made huge efforts in organizing the 2008 Olympic Games and which ought to be respected.