Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, the chief organiser of the 2004 Athens Games has urged the Chinese to embrace "genuine openness" as they prepare to host the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
She spoke at a lunch hosted by the British Olympic Association on Monday, saying:
"It's a great global gathering of more than 200 nations and openhearted visitors will come to China to see this nation as it truly is.
There needs to be genuine openness and a true sense that the new China is willing to accept this openness. If visitors or international broadcasters cannot move around as they want to then the Games will not be the success they want it to be.
This is China's chance to show they have embraced the 21st century."
There is concern voiced by some that the Chinese government has not granted wider political and personal freedoms, as it experiences unparalleled economic growth and is also spending heavily on Olympic venues.
If the IOC are genuinely concerned about China's openness, then why did they award them the Games in the first place?
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