Beijing 2008 Games: One World, One Dream

"One World, One Dream" - for decades to come these four simple words will be unmistakably linked to the 2008 Olympic Games.

And they were first uttered in their role as official slogan of the 2008 Games in the capital yesterday.

Immediately after the announcement was made by Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, artists from all over the world staged a show for the TV audience and those who had gathered in the Beijing Workers' Indoor Arena, for the announcement.

"'One World, One Dream,' is an embodiment of the wisdom of hundreds of thousands of people," Liu Qi, president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), said in his address.

"It is a slogan that conveys theloftyideal of people in Beijing as well as in China to share the global community and civilization and to create a bright future hand in hand with people from the rest of the world.

"It expresses the firm belief of a great nation, with a long history of 5,000 years and on its way towards modernization, that is committed to peaceful development, a harmonious society and people's happiness," Liu said.

Said IOC President Jacques Rogge in a letter to the BOCOG on hearing of the slogan: "The Olympic Games are unique in their ability to attract the world's attention, using sport to promote peace and understanding.

"The IOC is delighted that BOCOG's slogan for the 2008 Olympic Games has captured that Olympic spirit."

"The slogan sounds very good," said an Italian journalist covering the ceremony. "It conveys the wish of Chinese people to join the world."

"Although the slogan is simple, it has rich meaning," said another spectator. "It shows the significance of friendship. Since the Olympic Games is a world sports gala, it builds deeper friendship among all nations."

The new slogan shifted the focus from the city itself to the three concepts of the 2008 Games Green Olympics, High-tech Olympics and People's Olympics and the universal values of the Olympic movement.