Chinese Friendship Association President Ning Li thinks people should focus on the sports aspect of the 2008 Beijing Olympics as opposed to the politics involved.

"I really hope that people can enjoy these games because it's sports, it's a chance for all the athletes to show what they have been training for for quite a few years," Li (gradate-microbiology) said. "I don't like to see people use these Olympic games to connect it too much with politics."

Since the Olympics kicked off on Friday, China has been in the spotlight for its questionable human rights record and the pollution levels in Beijing as much as it has been for its impressive opening ceremony.

But Li hopes people celebrate the Olympics for the unity it represents.

Li helped to organize an April 23 rally in support of the Beijing Olympics on the Old Main Lawn. "We celebrate the Olympics for what the games are meant to be: A bridge for friendship, not a playground for politics" was the theme of the rally.

Though Li thinks having the Olympics in Beijing highlights many of China's good qualities, he acknowledged it is possible for negative things to attract attention as well.

Last Saturday, Todd Bachman, the father-in-law of Olympic men's indoor volleyball head coach Hugh McCutcheon was stabbed to death in Beijing, according to the Associated Press. Li said the incident is unfortunate but it shouldn't reflect on China as a whole.

"I believe that the people from China are trying their best to make this games peaceful and happy for everyone to enjoy," he said. "I admit that we have some problems, but I believe that any country has its own problems, and we are trying our best to solve that."

Li gathered with club members and others Friday night at the HUB-Robeson Center to watch the opening ceremonies. He and his friends were amazed at what they saw.

"When the person that lighted the torch ... the way he lit the torch, that was amazing," Li said.

The 12-hour time difference makes watching the games difficult, but Li, who moved to the United States from China in 2005, tries to watch as much as possible.

"Although the NBC channel tries their best to put out as much material as possible, it's not as easy as if we were in China," he said.

Qianqian Zhang (graduate-electrical engineering), the president of the Chinese Undergraduate Student Association, also enjoyed Friday's opening ceremony because she felt it accurately portrayed many elements of authentic Chinese culture.

"When people from China come to the U.S. they find a lot of Americans don't really know about China ... [The Olympics] offers to people all around the world what China really is like and what it's culture is like," she said.

She mentioned that recent movies such as The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and Kung Fu Panda show China from an American perspective, but the Olympics are from the Chinese perspective.

While Li hopes the Chinese athletes will win as many medals as possible, he stressed that the games are an opportunity for everyone in the world to come together.

"We believe these games are for athletes from the whole world," he said. "We hope everyone can do their best."