China Spurns Olympic Critics

(BEIJING)—In a blast of harsh rhetoric, China lashed out Thursday at the Dalai Lama and critics of Beijing's support for Sudan, saying attempts to link political issues to the Beijing Summer Olympics betrayed the spirit of the games.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said China could "definitely not accept" rights groups that say China's support for Sudan's government is prolonging the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

"To link the Darfur issue to the Olympics is a move to politicize the Olympics and this is inconsistent with the Olympics spirit and will bear no fruit," Jiang told reporters at a news conference.

She also attacked the Dalai Lama as a religious phony seeking to split China, a response to the exiled Tibetan leader's reported support for peaceful protests during the Olympics.

Beijing's tough approach illustrates its extreme sensitivity toward anything that might tarnish its staging of the Aug. 8-24 Olympic Games. Beijing has invested billions of dollars and national prestige in what it hopes will be a glorious showcase of China's rapid development from impoverished agrarian nation to rising industrial power.

Time Magazine