Impressed by China's great efforts in quake relief, people around the world believe the Beijing Olympics will still be a success after the country had suffered the major tremor.
The 8.0-magnitude quake jolted southwest China's Sichuan Province on May 12, claimed nearly 70,000 lives, injured more than 374,000 people, with more than 17,000 people still missing.
China mobilizes the whole nation in the shortest period of time to rescue survivors and rebuild homes.
On the 50-day countdown to the Olympics , Chen Yan, a Chinese overseas student in Australia, said he was moved by the efforts the whole nation had made, from which he saw the hope for a successful Olympics .
"We Chinese people have the ability to ensure the Beijing Olympics to be splendid and remarkable," he said, adding that Sichuan people will get through what they have suffered.
Fifty people in a Beijing community left their hand-prints on an Olympic flag Wednesday to show their support to the Games.
Another 50 people climbed the Fragrant Hill together in northwest Beijing, carrying a flag with the slogan of "Go China".
More Chinese people expressed their confidence at online forums of China's main websites.
"Chinese people will never give in before difficulties," a netizen said in a post at the forum of Xinhuanet.com.
"Beijing will make a shining performance in front of the whole world," the post read.
Beijing has stepped up preparations for the Olympics , tightening security work, tackling traffic problems, training volunteers, and educating the public with etiquettes.
It even published a manual of English translation for complicated Chinese food names.
Chinese people's optimism and organizing committee's practical measures make foreigners more confident too.
Yoo Ji-hoon, working in a Seoul-based engineering and construction company, said he thought the Beijing Olympics would be successful because the Chinese passion to Olympics was so strong.
Daniel Cotterall from New Zealand, who is working in Beijing, said although China has a difficult start in 2008, he still believes the upcoming Olympics will be a success.
"As the Games begin and athletes show good performances, people will be delighted and get together to celebrate," he said.
He said he will get his 10 Olympic tickets, including swimming and gymnastics, next week, and go to watch the events with his daughter, who will come to Beijing from France during the summer vacation, and friends.
Clark Bell, a kindergarten teacher in Australia thinks the same way.
"The Olympics will give people hope," he said.
（Xinhua News Agency June 19, 2008)