Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG) President Liu Qi, in New York to attend the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly, met on Thursday with NBA Commissioner David Stern. In his meeting with Stern, Liu, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, expressed hope that both parties would increase their cooperation to put on a grand basketball show with distinguished Chinese flavor for the coming 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Liu Qi said, a high-level Olympic games with distinct flavor can not come true without support from international community. NBA has great experience in sports promotion, which merits China’s learning and borrowing. BOCOG, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), and the NBA signed a memorandum of understanding on April 25 stating that the NBA and BOCOG would together provide the music, large screen TVs, commentating, and artistic performances next year at the Beijing Olympic Basketball competitions. Liu said that the Chinese government is also taking the opportunity of the Beijing Olympic Games to promote a nationwide program for public fitness.

Over the years, the NBA and China have successfully cooperated on the basketball front, said Stern, adding that the NBA is looking forward to the Beijing Olympic Games with great enthusiasm. He expressed hope that the two parties would continue to work together to develop sports in terms of athletic training and game presentation.

Exchange experience and optimize the games
On the same day, Liu Qi also met with Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. In their meeting, Liu said that NBC is one of Olympic games’ most important authorized broadcasters. NBC plays a special role in the international Olympic games, especially in terms of TV broadcasting. He also said that, by learning from the successful experience of the past Olympic Games, China would try to provide qualified and efficient service for its international media friends.

Liu said that the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games give both Chinese and American a chance to better understand each other. He hoped that through NBC’s TV broadcasting，people from the United States could have a better idea of a real Beijing and a real China.

Ebersol extended his thanks to BOCOG for the superb service they provide for NBC, especially for their support to NBC’s report on the one-year countdown celebration of the Beijing Olympic Games. He said that NBC would step up their communications with BOCOG and related government sectors, trying its utmost to do well broadcasting work for the coming Olympic Games and to help their U.S. counterpart to better understand Beijing and China.