We are guests of Jiang Heping, controller of CCTV5, the national TV company's main sports channel.

Last year, it became the Olympics Channel, with the rings logo stamped in the top left hand corner in a billion of the nation's TV screens.

Jiang is ultimately responsible for putting on the mainland's greatest sporting and media spectacle.

Many nations take their sports seriously, perhaps none more so than China. With its rigid centrally controlled system, sports sometimes appears to come second in importance only to the military, blurring as it so often does with politics.

With such a burden and ever-tightening schedule in the run-up to the big O, it comes as something of a surprise when Jiang answers his own phone. We arranged an interview simply by ringing CCTV and getting his direct line, without even having to say who we were.

However, it was of little surprise when Jiang, a rising government official and Communist Party member, started to speak in the language of China's 21st century take on market socialism. He strongly advocates selling off the nation's sports in order to save them.

It must be dress-down day at the office. Wearing a blue-striped white T-shirt, Jiang, 45, greets us with an open smile and the impression he has all afternoon for us, though we can see the appointments in a huge desk diary are struggling to stay on the page.

'So what do you want to know?' beams the leader of a 2,500-strong army, poised to carry out 24-hour coverage on seven channels over 16 days. The staff include 900 TV sports professionals.

Using the latest editing and filming technology, there will be no room for mishaps.

'We are training our team on high-definition cameras and the latest non-linear editing techniques,' he said. 'We have been holding planning and brainstorming meetings since I took over control of the channel in 2005 - even brainwashing ourselves to think only of the Olympics.

'This is a 100 years' opportunity - an unprecedented chance for TV sports people. We are almost ready.'

Everything has been taken into consideration - the seven sports (soccer, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, badminton, tennis, modern pentathlon and a wushu exhibition) that CCTV5 will provide world feeds for, the 31 venues, how to broadcast the opening and finishing ceremonies - and how to deal with any banner-waving protesters.

'Plans are in place,' says Jiang. 'We will deal with everything in a professional manner.'

No room for ad-libbing in this studio, and nor would he confirm that a 60-second delay will be implemented for live broadcasts. 'That's up to the Beijing Olympic Broadcasting Company. But we will be broadcasting live,' he said.

Jiang sees China's hosting of the Games as a symbol of the country's confidence, and a mere step in its journey to becoming a world sports power.

'This, we are not yet,' he said. 'Look at how many people play soccer in this country, and how few sports grounds and stadia there are for them. Per capita, the number is extremely low. There are training schools, yes, but they only focus on a select few. It needs to be opened up to more people, from the grassroots level.'

And this is when he says it can only be done when sports are taken out of the government's hands and put out to commercial forces. Otherwise professional sports will die, he says.

'CCTV5 can certainly play a role in promoting professional sports in China. There are two steps for a developing country to take in sports. The first is to set a solid foundation, with government financing. That has been done. The second is to go to the market. Look at the English Premiership, and the success that has become. Look at rugby and cricket in England, all very successful because they are commercial, professional sports that are not financed by the government.

'In China, the football league was a complete failure, and this was because it wasn't ready, there wasn't a solid foundation in place first. It happened too fast and then there were all those scandals.'

Cue, a little more party-speak ... 'To my mind, there are three 'isations' involved,' he explains.

'The first is 'standardisation' - to standardise sports production and sports coverage. Then there is 'internationalisation', which is happening with the Olympics, providing people from all walks of life to come to Beijing and exchange ideas. In fact, I have Ken Kelling from Locog, the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games in 2012, coming to see me tomorrow.

'And the third is 'marketisation'. When you do Olympics coverage, the market must be affected by the advertisers. We have a valuable chance to attract advertisers here.'

Jiang acknowledged the change of swimming schedules, now to be held in the morning instead of the afternoon, is one downside to commercial influence.

'NBC has a lot of money,' he says. 'The International Olympics Committee has to listen to some suggestions.'

Jiang says China's medal haul, sure to be among the top three, will be greater once sport has gone commercial.

'To be a world sports power, you have to have athletes and swimmers. China has Liu Xiang, and that's it. But it will happen, once the next step, to open up to the market, is taken. It might not be this Olympics, but we will have our day.'

We are granted a peep at the studios where the looping 24/7 programming is being aired from. Soon the entire operation will move to grand new offices in the CBD in time for the Olympics.

If Jiang is right about the second step, into the market, for China's sporting progress, the move will certainly make for a far more impressive image, and surely one with fewer secrets.