ON 15 DECEMBER AWARDING CEREMONY OF THE BEIJING OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY WAS HELD BY MET POLICE IN GRAVESEND POLICE TRAINING BASE, KENT. AMBASSADOR FU YING AND DEFENSE ATTACHÉ ZHANG JIANGUO ETC. ATTENDED THE CEREMONY AT INVITATION. MR. BROADHURST, CHIEF POLICE AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE TORCH RELAY, PRESIDED OVER THE CEREMONY.

THE BROAD SCREEN SHOWED PICTURES OF THE TORCH RELAY. DISABLED TORCH BEARER MOREL BROUGHT HER TORCH ALONG AND SHOWED IT TO THE AUDIENCE. MR. BROADHURST AND AMBASSADOR FU YING PRESENTED THE AWARDS TO OVER 60 POLICEMEN BEFORE HAVING THEIR PICTURES TAKEN WITH THEM. FU YING ALSO GAVE EACH OF THEM A SOUVENIR.

 FU YING STARTED BY CONGRATULATING THE POLICEMEN ON THEIR AWARDS. SHE THANKED MEMBERS OF THE ESCORT TEAM FOR THEIR PROFESSIONALISM AND DEVOTION WHICH ENSURED SAFETY OF THE TORCH AND ITS SMOOTH PROCEEDING. THEY WOULD BE REMEMBERED BY THE CHINESE PEOPLE.

FU YING REMEMBERED THE DAY OF 6 APRIL WHEN THE TORCH RELAY WAS HELD IN LONDON. SHE TOLD STORIES OF HOW LONDONERS AND OVERSEAS CHINESE AND STUDENTS, BRAVED WIND AND SNOW TO WELCOME THE TORCH. SHE ALSO TOLD HER OWN EXPERIENCE AS TORCH BEARER.

FU YING SAID THE TORCH RELAY WAS A GOOD CHANCE TO SHOWCASE LONDON. REGRETTABLY IT WAS SERIOUSLY INTERFERED BY ANTI-CHINA FORCES LIKE THE "TIBET INDEPENDENCE" FORCES. BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO STOP THE TORCH RELAY AND THE SUCCESS OF THE BEIJING OLYMPIC GAMES.

FU YING MENTIONED IN PARTICULAR THAT SOME PEOPLE IN THE WEST DID NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND THE FEELING OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE TOWARDS THE OLYMPIC GAMES. A HUNDRED YEARS AGO YOUNG PEOPLE IN CHINA BEGAN TO ASPIRE THE OLYMPIC GAMES. LI NING'S RUN AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE GAMES SHOWED THE TORTUOUS JOURNEY OF THE CHINESE NATION IN ACHIEVING ITS CENTURY-OLD DREAM.

FU YING SAID AFTER THE GAMES THE CHINESE PEOPLE BEGAN TO THINK WHY THE "TIBET INDEPENDENCE" FORCE WAS ABLE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF SUPPORT IN THE WEST. CHINA REALIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATING WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD, LEARNING TO INTRODUCE ITSELF AND MAKE ITS VOICE HEARD SO THAT PEOPLE IN THE WEST WOULD BE ABLE TO KNOW THEM BETTER. AT THE SAME TIME PEOPLE IN THE WEST SHOULD ALSO UNDERSTAND THE FEELING OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE ON THE QUESTION OF TIBET. FOR THEM IT WAS UNACCEPTABLE TO CEDE TIBET FROM THE BIG FAMILY OF 56 NATIONALITIES.

FU YING EXPRESSED HER WISH THE LONDON OLYMPIC GAMES IN 2012 COULD BE A SUCCESS. HER CANDID SPEECH WON HER APPLAUSE. MR. BROADHURST ALSO RECALLED THE TORCH RELAY IN HIS SPEECH.

HE SAID 6 APRIL WAS A CHALLENGING DAY. THE MET POLICE REGARDED TORCH RELAY AS AN IMPORTANT TASK AND MADE COMPLETE PLAN FOR IT. HOWEVER ATTACKS AGAINST THE TORCH WENT BEYOND ANTICIPATION. THE ESCORT TEAM WAS VERY PASSIVE AT SOME POINT. BOTH THE CHINESE AND BRITISH WERE FACED WITH THE DILEMMA OF WHETHER TO CONTINUE OR TO STOP THE RELAY.

THE COURAGE OF THE CHINESE COMMAND TEAM WAS ADMIRING. BOTH SIDES DECIDED TO CONTINUE. POLICEMEN BEGAN TO RUN WITH THE TORCH AT ALL TIME, DETERMINED TO PROTECT IT AT EVERY COST.

MR. BROADHURST SAID THAT THE MET POLICE WORKED WITH THE CHINESE ESCORT TEAM WITH PROFESSIONALISM AND COOPERATIVE SPIRIT AND SAFEGUARDED TORCH SAFETY AND OLYMPIC SPIRIT. THEY ALSO SAFEGUARDED REPUTATION OF THE MET POLICE AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE BILATERAL RELATIONS.

MR. BROADHURST THANKED SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE FROM THE CHINESE TEAM AND THE CHINESE EMBASSY AND LOOKED FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE CHINESE SIDE FOR BETTER RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN.