Pakistan, Russia oppose attempt to undermine China's sovereignty, politicize Olympic Games

BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan, Russia and some other countries made statements Monday, opposing any attempt to undermine China's sovereignty and to politicize the Olympic Games.

The government of Pakistan stressed its stance Monday that Tibet is an inalienable part of China and is firmly opposed to any attempt to undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"Tibet is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. Issues of Tibet are totally internal affairs of China," Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said in an interview with Xinhua.

The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games torch relay will reach the Pakistani capital of Islamabad next month.

Commenting on the upcoming event, Sadiq said "the Olympic Games are a sports gala for all the people around the world. Pakistan believes that the Beijing Olympic Games will be a great success."

"The Pakistani government is getting prepared for the torch relay. We are opposed to any attempts to politicize the Olympic Games," he said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday that Russia "views Tibet as an inseparable part of China and believes that the settlement of relations with the Dalai Lama is an internal affair of the People's Republic of China."

The foreign ministry denounced the politicization of the 2008 summer Olympic Games in China, Russia's Interfax news agency reported.

"We would like to stress that any attempt to politicize the Chinese summer Olympic Games 2008 is unacceptable," said the ministry's Information and Press Department.

The riot in Lhasa last Friday caused heavy losses of life and property, and seriously disturbed social order, according to the head of Tibet Autonomous Regional Government.

Thirteen innocent civilians were burned or stabbed to death, Qiangba Puncog, chairman of Tibet Autonomous Regional Government, told a news briefing in Beijing on Monday.

The unrest was "organized" and "premeditated" by the Dalai Lama clique, he said.

Meanwhile, the German government on Monday also spoke explicitly against a boycott of the Beijing Olympic Games in reaction to the situation in Tibet and reiterated its commitment to the one-China policy.

Thomas Steg, spokesman for the German government told a press conference that a boycott of the Beijing Olympics would achieve nothing but only affect the athletes who have been preparing for along time for the games.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark also said Monday that not to recognize Tibet's independence is the New Zealand government's set position.

Clark was dismissive of an Olympic boycott call, saying she did not think it had international support.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said at a press conference Wednesday in Beijing that it is only a very few anti-China individuals and groups with bias against China who want to politicize the Beijing Olympics, and they cannot represent the international community.

More than 100 state or government leaders across the world have expressed willingness to attend the Beijing Olympics in August.