Chinese President Hu Jintao yesterday visited east China's port city of
Qingdao to inspect preparatory work for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games' sailing
event and local enterprises.
Hu was pleased at the efforts Qingdao had made to clean seawater and make it
qualified for Olympics' sailing event. He urged continuing to keep alert and
make efforts to ensure a smooth sailing event.
Starting in mid-June, the coast of Qingdao was coated with a vast algae
coming from the Yellow Sea. A bright green covering of algae smothered beaches
and extended out several hundred meters. It once covered 32 percent of the
sailing venue at the peak of the outbreak.
Hu visited the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center, highly praising the adoption
of renewable energy and environment-friendly materials in the center's
buildings.
Hu urged the center staff to make more earnest preparations for a sailing
event to be satisfied by the world, athletes and Chinese people.
He encouraged Chinese athletes to achieve good results with confidence and
morale.
Hu also talked with some foreign athletes in Qingdao for preliminary
trainings. "The Chinese people are showing their warm welcome to athletes from
all over the world. We will do our best to provide good service for you," he
said.
On Sunday afternoon, Hu paid visits to two local enterprises to inspect their
operations.
Hu stressed that the slowing growth of the world economy and increase of
uncertain and unstable factors are bringing disadvantageous influence on China's
economic development.
But we should turn this challenge into an opportunity, speed up the transfer
of growth patterns, push forward innovation and improve management to maintain a
sound development trend for the enterprises, the president said.
He called on local governments to boost policy support and services for the
enterprises, small and medium-sized firms in particular.