On the afternoon of November 1, the organizing committee of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games held a press conference in Shanghai, the host city of the event. Chinese and international officials answered reporters' questions:

1. Shanghai Radio News Channel: Besides holding the press conference in Shanghai, do you plan to hold such conferences in other places to increase public awareness?

Shi Derong (Vice Secretary General of the committee): Such press conferences will be held around the world. Today, the local organizing committee, Special Olympics China and Special Olympics International are holding a conference together, and tomorrow they will hold a conference in Hong Kong, together with the Star Group Limited. Moreover, Special Olympics International will have press releases worldwide via the media in the United States or other countries.

2. China Industrial and Commercial Times: As the 2007 Special Olympics will be held in Shanghai and Asia for the first time, can you tell me, Mr. Welsh, what you will do in marketing and what are the special values?

Jerry C. Welsh (Chief Marketing Officer of Special Olympics): As I just mentioned, the 2007 Special Olympics will become the largest sports event that year. We will promote it not only China, but also the United States via TV to inform the world what the Special Olympics is about to help them know more about the event.

3. Dow Jones & Company Shanghai Office: What companies at home and abroad will fund the event?

Jerry C. Welsh: Actually, we have sponsors around the world, such famous companies as Coca Cola. They are very interested in the event and tens of companies from China and overseas are expecting to participate. I think we have no funding problems.

4. Shanghai Television Station News Channel: We know that the event will be held in Asia and China for the first time. Besides the emblem, theme and promotion video, there is much other preparatory work to do. There is yet some time before the event, can you tell me, Mayor Zhou, what is Shanghai lacking as yet? And what is the preparatory work that must still be done in the coming couple of years?

Zhou Taitong (Shanghai Vice Mayor and also director of the organizing committee): We are three years from the 2007 Special Olympics. I think to hold a sports event, it is very important to have enough funds, athletes, equipment, facilities, sites and of course a collection of professional designers with veteran experience. Based on Shanghai's capabilities and economic situation, it is not difficult to hold a global sports event with about 10,000 participants. However, the things we are in great need of now are understanding and the participation of the whole society. The local public's recognition, awareness and participation are not enough. Therefore, what we are in urgent need of doing is to publicize the meaning and guiding ideology for holding the 2007 Special Olympic Games.

Compared with the requirements of the Special Olympics International for Shanghai, our guiding ideologies have both the same and different points: Special Olympics International (SOI) expects to hold the event in developing countries to increase their reputation. The previous ten events were all held in the United States and the 11th was held in Ireland. SOI thinks it cannot represent the global mentally retarded, as more mentally-retarded people are in developing countries. Shanghai, a fast-growing city in a developing country, is considered qualified for holding the event and it will have a different impact from those held in US and Ireland. However, what we think is more than that: holding the event can not only enlarge our global influence, but enhance the development of Chinese human rights, popularize the humanitarian spirit, and make our society more civilized.

In the next three years, we must focus on fund-raising and skill training. There will be all together 18 sports events in the 2007 games, but China only has participants for seven or eight events. China has a low standard for the Special Olympics, and we will encourage more mentally-retarded people to participate in the event in the next three years. Shanghai has about 70,000 or 80,000 mentally-retarded people, and our goal is to help at least 50,000 people leave their families to participate in one of the sports events after eight-months of basic training. If they can participate in the sports events they are interested in, and be in together with normal people, our goal for holding the event will be realized. We will prepare for the site construction, fund-raising and sports event training. Our volunteers for the event will not serve only once, but for many years. Above all, our most important task is to increase social awareness.