Honorable Comrade Yang Hyong-sop, Vice President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK,
Honorable Comrade Park Hak-seon, Chairman of the National Olympic Committee of the DPRK,
Honorable Comrade Park Kwan-o, Chairman of the People's Committee of Pyongyang,
Honorable Ambassadors,
Comrades and Friends,
In this fragrant and beautiful spring, I am very happy to have DPRK friends from all walks of life and fellow ambassadors join me in welcoming the Beijing Olympic Flame to Pyongyang. I would like to thank Vice President Yang Hyong-sop for attending tonight's reception, and I extend my warm welcome to all DPRK comrades and diplomatic envoys from the countries that are participating in the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay.
On March 31, President Hu Jintao lit the flaming cauldron on Tian'anmen Square and solemnly announced the formal beginning of the Torch Relay of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. From that moment on, the blazing Olympic Flame set out on its global journey of harmony, carrying with it the passion of 1.3 billion Chinese people for the Olympics and their feelings of profound friendship toward people all round the world,
As the highest symbol of the Olympic spirit, the Olympic Flame bears with it the universal dream of the mankind. Inspired by it, people of different regions, races and beliefs explore and realize the noble dream of the Olympics, sharing the ideals of peace, friendship and progress, and joyously hailing the 2008 Olympic Games.
The Beijing Olympic Torch Relay goes to 21 overseas cities around all the continents in the world and 113 cities inside China. It will mark Olympic history with a splendid new chapter, with the longest time and distance, the widest geographic scope, and the largest number of torchbearers. Among the overseas cities participating in the Torch Relay, more than half of them are along the ancient Silk Road. This highlights the enduring nature of exchanges among civilizations and the modern philosophy of coexistence and harmony. Among these cities, two thirds are in Asia and more than two thirds are from developing countries. This fully underscores the fact that China is a developing country as well as a member of the Asian community, and that China is greatly pleased to contribute to the cause of spreading the Olympic spirit to a wider world.
Comrades and friends,
One week from now, the Olympic Flame will be landing in the DPRK to begin the 18th stop of its overseas Torch Relay. Fifty-six Korean and fourteen Chinese torchbearers will raise the torch in their hands and run through the beautiful city of Pyongyang, experiencing this unique historic moment with their own steps. .
The Olympic Torch Relay in Pyongyang will add a new and significant page to Olympic history. This will be the first time that the Olympic Flame will come to the DPRK ever since the Torch Relay was held in modern Olympic Games. As an Asian and developing country as well as a nation enjoying ancient civilization and residing by the ancient Silk Road, the DPRK has every reason to host the Olympic Torch Relay. It has an excellent sporting tradition, strong and competitive in many sports like soccer, gymnastics, judo and the marathon. The visit of the Olympic Flame will help to spread the Olympic spirit and promote the cause of sport in the DPRK.
The coming of the Olympic Torch Relay to Pyongyang will also greatly enhance the friendship between the Chinese and Korean peoples. Crossing the Yalu River for the first time, the Olympic Flame will carry with it the passion of the Olympics between the two neighbors, enabling them to share the joy of the Olympic Games, refresh the traditional friendship of the two countries, and promote their cooperation in the sports and cultural fields.
The Olympic Torch Relay's coming to Pyongyang will also build up a bridge of friendship between the people of the DPRK and the international community. Following the steps of the torchbearers, people from all over the world will be able to see with their own eyes the charming capital city of Pyongyang, to learn about a country having a profound civilization and unique humane dispositions, and to be acquainted with people who love peace, cherish friendship, and aspire to economic development.
The Olympic Torch Relay will also bring the blessings of peace and friendship to the Korean Peninsula. It is the first time that both the North and South sides of the Korean Peninsula will participate in the Olympic Torch Relay at the same time. This reflects the best wishes of the people of the world that the process of reconciliation and cooperation between the two Koreas would move forward ceaselessly.
Comrades and friends,
The Beijing Olympic Torch Relay has been proceeding smoothly in most overseas cities. Where the Olympic Flame has gone, it has received the warmest welcome by the local people. People of different ages and nationalities have greeted the flame with immense passion and touching sentiment. While sharing the Olympic spirit, they also have given their best wishes for the Beijing Olympic Games. This has confirmed our conviction that the Olympic Flame belongs not only to China but really to the entire world and all mankind.
However, we have also witnessed some episodes staged by Tibetan separatists and anti-China groups in their attempts to interrupt and even disrupt the Torch Relay. Those acts have not only hurt the feelings of the Chinese people, who cherish peace and love the Olympics so much, but also blatantly have challenged the conscience of the people of the world and the noble spirit of the Olympic Movement. These forces are doomed to failure. The commitment of the Chinese people to the Olympic spirit and their confidence to host a successful Olympic Games is unshakable; the resolve of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territory integrity is unquestionable; the strategic decision of Reform and Opening up and peaceful development by the Chinese people is unalterable. No force on earth can stop the advancing steps of the Chinese people. The Olympic Flame will burn brightly in the cauldron in the National Stadium of Beijing and light up the road for the Chinese people and people all round the world toward justice and harmony.
Comrades and friends,
Among the 21 overseas host cities for the Torch Relay, Pyongyang is the closest one to Beijing. The profound China-DPRK friendship not only lies in this geographic contiguity, but it also originates from our similar historical experience, cultural traditions and affectionate feelings towards each other by the two peoples. Since the very start, the DPRK people have expressed warm and firm support for the Chinese people to hold the Olympic Games and to bring the Torch Relay to Pyongyang. From party and national leaders down to average Pyongyang citizens, the DPRK people extended kind blessings to the Beijing Olympic Games and expressed enthusiasm for the Olympic Torch Relay in Pyongyang.
During his visit to the Chinese Embassy in March this year, General Sectary Kim Jong-il said that the Beijing Olympic Games are not only the pride of the Chinese people, but also a glory for the people of Asia and the world as a whole. He cordially wished great success for the Beijing Olympic Games. In the preparations for the coming of the Torch Relay to Pyongyang, the National Olympic Committee of the DPRK, the People's Committee of Pyongyang, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of People's Security, the General Administration of Civil Aviation, the Administration of Customs, Border Control and Quarantine as well as other concerned departments have done a wonderful job and exercised effective cooperation with their Chinese counterparts. Media agencies such as the Rodong Sinmun, the KCNA, and the Central Committee of Broadcast and Television have paid close attention and given extensive coverage of the Beijing Olympic Games. As the Torch Relay was disrupted by anti-China forces, the National Olympic Committee of the DPRK issued a timely statement to firmly support the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay and severely condemn the forces seeking to disrupt the Torch Relay. I would like to take this opportunity to express sincere appreciation to the DPRK people for their strong support to the Chinese people and extend my heartfelt thanks to the various departments and institutions of the DPRK for their hard work in preparing for the coming of the Olympic Torch Relay to Pyongyang. I believe that with joint efforts and close coordination between our two countries, the Olympic Torch Relay will achieve all-around success, adding a more vigorous and colorful chapter to the Beijing Olympic Games.
(Ambassador Liu and Vice President Yang looking at the route of the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay)
Comrades and friends,
The Olympic Flame is coming to us. It is shining with even greater brightness and passion after the wind and rain have come and gone. Just like the fire phoenix on the logo of the Torch Relay, the commitment of the Chinese people to cultivate friendship and embrace the world is more determined and perseverant. Let us give our blessings to Beijing and Pyongyang, and join hands in holding high the Olympic Flame to light the human passion for happiness and harmony, to convey the noble dream of peace, friendship and progress, to spread the Olympic spirit around continents, and to make this world a better place.
Thank you.
(Ambassador Liu showing Vice President Yang the Lucy Clouds Torch of Beijing Olympic Games)