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."