Olympic chief Jacques Rogge said Thursday that the controversial Olympic torch relay would go ahead but admitted that the International Olympic Committee had hoped that awarding the Games to Beijing would "advance the social agenda of China, including human rights." The torch has become a focus for protests over China's human rights record and its actions in Tibet, with tens of thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets this week in London, Paris and San Francisco.IOC President Rogge was speaking during a visit to the Chinese capital -- and his comments were immediately dismissed by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, who reminded Rogge that the Olympic charter clearly separates sport from politics.
But Rogge said the award of the Games to China was based on "a moral engagement rather than a political one. "And we definitely ask China to respect this moral engagement," he said.
Rogge also pointed out Thursday that he had expressed the IOC's "serious concerns" about Tibet. He said the IOC respects protests, but that they should be non-violent.
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