Hiroyuki Sugiyama Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

BEIJING--The Chinese government has denied recent reports in European newspapers saying that athletes participating in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing would be prohibited from taking the Bible and other religious material into the athletes' village.

At a regular news conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said: "It's a groundless rumor. I believe there are people who don't want the Olympics held in China to be successful."

Liu showed a government provision that permits foreigners to bring religious material to China.

"It's hardly likely that the organizing committee and government division in charge of the Olympics would ban the Bible in the athletes' village," Liu said.

Liu asked opponents of the Beijing Olympics to drop their attempts to derail the event.

"I wonder what kind of plot lies behind such a rumor," he said.

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