PM: New Zealanders not to favor Olympic boycott

WELLINGTON, April 10 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said she does not believe New Zealanders would support a boycott of the Beijing Olympic Games, the New Zealand Press Association reported Thursday.

"I don't believe in New Zealand there would be a general view that what has happened in Tibet or Tibetan areas of China should jeopardize the Olympics," Clark said before she returned to New Zealand from Beijing after her three-day official visit to China.

Clark, who witnessed the signing of China-New Zealand free trade agreement on Monday, said she did not believe the highlighting of China's human rights record would not cast a cloud over the trade deal and that New Zealanders would support a boycott of the Olympics.

"People take a huge interest in our Olympians and a lot of pride and I don't think they would want to see their hopes dashed," the prime minister added.