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CNN Live At Daybreak

Anxious Cities Await Decision of Olympic Importance

Aired July 13, 2001 - 07:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The world's largest country has never hosted the Olympic Games, but that could change. China's capital, Beijing, is still the front-runner, along with Toronto, to host the international Games in 2008. Other cities being considered include Paris; Osaka, Japan; and Istanbul, Turkey.

The International Olympic Committee has been meeting in Moscow and is scheduled to decide today which city will host the Games.

CNN's Patrick Snell from CNNSI is watching these proceedings in Moscow. And he joins us now -- Patrick.

PATRICK SNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you very much -- a warm welcome to the Russian capital.

Yes, the excitement, the tension is building up here. We've had three of the bid presentations so far. The key one, the favorite, Beijing, the Chinese bid, is due to begin almost as we speak. And we're waiting for that to get under way.

As you say, the Games have never come to China. And its 1.3 billion population, the world's most populous nation, is desperate to get those Games. Already 600,000 people have signed up as volunteers to get those Games, should it come.

Now, you'll recall 1993, Beijing lost by two votes for the right to stage the 2000 Games that eventually went to Sydney, Australia. There is a problem with this bid, though: the human rights issue. There have been anti-China protests over the last few days gathering momentum. And I know that is a source of concern to the Chinese delegates.

So that's the Chinese bid. That's about to get under way. That's getting under way almost now. What else have we had today? Well, we have had the bid from Osaka, Japan. That was first up today -- the Japanese bid -- the Chinese -- the Japanese are basically saying that they will provide the best sporting facilities in the world across three manmade islands.

That's what they're saying: the best sporting facilities in the world. And, of course, they're extra confident because Japan will be co-hosting next summer's football World Cups -- so the Japanese full of confidence, but they are considered pretty much rank outsiders. Now, what about the Canadians from Toronto? Of course, the Olympic Games have gone to Canada before: Montreal in 1976. But the Torontonians believe that they really are the athletes' choice. They believe that the athletes want the Games, above all, to come to Toronto. The Canadians say 74 percent of their infrastructure, their facilities are already in place across 6 kilometers, across what they say would be a stunning waterfront.

That's the latest. Still to come today, we've got that Beijing bid. We also have the French bid from Paris and Istanbul, Turkey as well. That's considered a rank outsider. The excitement is fever- pitch almost. That's the very latest -- Carol.

LIN: All right, thank you very much, Patrick in Moscow -- a fever pitch -- of course, much at stake for China.

In Beijing, CNN's Mike Chinoy standing at what the Chinese hope is really a symbol of the future and not a reminder of the past.

Mike, I know it's pretty noisy back there. People must be gathering pretty early to hear this announcement.

MIKE CHINOY, CNN SR. ASIA CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right Carol.

This is the Beijing Millennium Monument, where a big cultural program is going to begin shortly. It's going to be broadcast around the country. They've been practicing, playing patriotic songs. Speakers have been given pep talks, talking about how, if Beijing wins the Olympics, this will bring glory for the entire Chinese nation.

It's fair to say that the Olympics mean more for the people of China, perhaps, than for any of the citizens of the other countries. Many Chinese see the Olympic bid as a kind of referendum on China's standing in the world. And if Beijing wins this bid and is able to host the 2008 Olympics, many Chinese will see it as a vindication and recognition that China, as a great power, is taking its rightful place on the international stage.

Interestingly, though, this is the only big public gathering that is being allowed by the authorities to be held here in Beijing. Most people are going to be watching live TV coverage from their homes. The government does not want unauthorized, spontaneous public gatherings, although, if Beijing wins, there's a lot of expectation that big crowds of people will go into the streets and perhaps go down to Tiananmen Square to celebrate --Carol.

LIN: Mike, we've been reading some stories here in the United States about how many Chinese are sprucing up their city, really anticipating that they're going to get the bid. What are you seeing on your end?

CHINOY: Well, there's no question that Beijing has spruced itself up for months to try and convince the Olympic Committee that it had the wherewithal to stage the Games. And the government has promised to spend between 15 and $20 billion on a massive rebuilding of large sections of the city, adding stadiums, new roads, subways, all kinds of new facilities.

And that's one of the benefits that the Chinese here talk about: that it will improve the quality of life in Beijing. When you ask Chinese about the question of human rights, even people that I've spoken with earlier in the week -- artists, musicians, people who are not supporters of the Communist Party -- they generally feel that the Olympics will serve to further integrate China with the rest of the world and serve to further open China up, even if they acknowledge that it is not likely, in any way, to produce movement towards meaningful political freedom or greater democracy here -- Carol.

LIN: Mike, how likely is it, though, that while they make that public statement, how likely is it that in fact behind the scenes there have been such discussions to try to influence the IOC's decision?

CHINOY: Well, the Chinese have played all the games that everyone else has played. They've lobbied very, very hard to try and make their case.

But they have made their case partly on the grounds that they're prepared to spend however many billion dollars it takes to have the facilities. But more perhaps than the other contenders, the Chinese have argued that, in a sense, this is a political decision, despite Beijing's contention that sports and politics shouldn't be mixed -- the political decision being recognition of China's greatness, recognition of the fact that this is the capital of the world's most populous nation, and it has not held the Olympics ever in China, and that it's about time now, particularly because China came within two votes of winning its bid to host the 2000 Olympics only to see Sydney, in the end, take that honor -- Carol.

LIN: All right, thank you very much, Mike Chinoy, standing by for that decision in Beijing -- Linda.

LINDA STOUFFER, CNN ANCHOR: Well one of Beijing's competitors, as you know, is the city of Toronto.

Our Bill Delaney is there. Bill, are folks getting ready for this big announcement?

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Folks are getting ready for this big announcement. And the main event here this morning besides choosing, of course, the 2008 Olympic site: the serving of some -- serving of some 14,000 pancakes just down the street from me here.

Officials say -- officials say they have enough pancakes to feed 14,000 people. They also have about 8,000 bottles of water, 4,000 cups of that all-important coffee.

We've got a local Torontonian here, who's making this a little more complicated than it might be. The stage -- the stage right next to us here, of course, where people will have large video screens and be able to watch this announcement around 10:30 this morning expected here in Toronto -- Torontonians feeling good about their chances. They point out that, sure, they're the No. 2 -- 3-1 odds against them in a recent Las Vegas line. But they like those numbers. They say that five of the last six Olympic choices have been underdogs. They started out as underdogs -- the Torontonians feeling good about their chances. They call themselves the risk-free choice -- a sophisticated technological and communications infrastructure here and an Olympic venue, they say, that's already 70 percent built down on the waterfront here -- so Torontonians feeling good about their chances -- the crowds still pretty thin here, but expected to blossom to as many as 15,000 -- back to you.

STOUFFER: And, Bill, why do they want it so badly? Why do they think they should get it?

DELANEY: You know, Torontonians would like their city to be better known on the world stage. This is a really quite remarkable city of 2 1/2 million people. More than 50 percent of people here immigrants -- 170 different ethnic groups here, more than 100 languages spoken.

Toronto -- besides the money, of course, that they believe would flow into the city, it's also a matter of prestige and putting themselves a bit more on the map, if you will -- people understanding that Toronto, it's not just a Canadian city; it's very much a world city -- so tremendous enthusiasm and excitement here about bringing the Olympics in 2008 to Toronto -- Back to you.

STOUFFER: And as you said, a lot of money at stake too.

Bill Delaney in Toronto, thanks very much.

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