Olympic Committee Criticizes China's Rights Record

BEIJING — The International Olympic Committee clashed with China yesterday after calling on Beijing to improve its human rights record.

The IOC president, Jacques Rogge, said that China had promised that hosting the Games would lead to an improvement and that the committee "definitely ask China to respect this moral engagement." Mr. Rogge, who previously insisted that it was not his role to criticize this summer's Olympic hosts, was under pressure following disruption to the torch relay in London, Paris and San Francisco. He admitted that the relay was facing a crisis, but added: "The IOC has weathered many bigger storms." His words were immediately rejected by the Chinese government, which up to now has been grateful for Mr. Rogge's support in its attempt to stop protests linked to Tibet sullying a golden opportunity to show off its new economic strength. A spokesman, Jiang Yu, said it was an exaggeration to call what had happened to the torch a crisis. "I believe IOC officials support the Beijing Olympics and adherence to the Olympic charter of not bringing in any irrelevant political factors," she said. "I hope IOC officials continue to adhere to principles of the Olympic charter."

Meanwhile, the authorities claimed to have uncovered a plot by Muslim terrorists to kidnap athletes, tourists and journalists at the Games. The police ministry told a press conference that 35 people were arrested in raids in Xinjiang province.

[Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai of Kenya said Thursday that she would not run as planned in the Olympic torch relay in Tanzania this weekend, a decision made in protest of China's human-rights abuses and destruction of the environment, the Los Angeles Times reported.]