Nation 'basically ready' to host Beijing Olympics

The nation is 'basically ready' to host the Beijing Olympics, a Politburo meeting chaired by President Hu Jintao was told yesterday.

'The preparation work has been going very well and we are basically ready for the Games,' Xinhua quoted a statement released at the end of the meeting as saying.

'China is confident of doing a good job during the Olympics and making it a high-level event so as to satisfy the international community, athletes of different countries and regions, and the Chinese people,' it said. It did not mention the two doping cases reported yesterday or the scrapping of the international leg of the Paralympic torch relay.

However, it called the international leg of the Olympic torch relay, which was dogged by anti-China protests in such cities as Paris and London, a 'victory'.

The statement called on party cadres to do a good job during the Olympics but at the same time pay attention to earthquake relief work and promote the country's 'economic and social development'.

The Politburo meeting came after Mr Hu inspected transport infrastructure facilities in Beijing for the Olympics on Wednesday. He said preparation for the Games had entered the final stage.