IOC officials to China: Ensure open access to Internet during Olympics

London, Apr.2 : China must ensure open access to the Internet during the Beijing Games, Olympic officials have warned.

Inspectors from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said China was obliged under its Games contract to provide journalists with web access.

IOC's Kevan Gosper was quoted by the BBC as saying that there was concern that the web had been blocked during recent unrest in Tibet. He said this could not happen during the Games.

IOC inspectors are on a final visit to Beijing before the August Games begin.

Gosper said blocking the Internet during the Games would "reflect very poorly" on the host nation.

Some 30,000 journalists are expected to be in Beijing to cover the Games.

ANI