IOC admits certain naivety regarding Chinese censorship

 The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been criticized in recent days for its handling of Chinese censorship. When asked whether the belief in a change in China's attitude towards the internet was naive, IOC President Jacques Rogge said at a media conference on Saturday: "I would say we are idealists. Idealism is linked to a certain naivety." However, Rogge emphasized that the situation has improved in his eyes and that the current access to the Internet is unprecedented for China. At the same time, he rejected reports that IOC representatives had agreed with Chinese authorities to accept restrictions on internet access (see ). Following international pressure, China had in recent days unblocked websites for journalists such as those of the human rights organization Amnesty International or broadcasters such as Deutsche Welle and the BBC. However, other websites, such as blogs of US daily newspapers, remained blocked. In the rest of the country, access to the internet is still strictly controlled.