In a recent meeting with officials of the Chinese Olympic Committee in Beijing on November 22, 2004, Michel Bonnefous, CEO AC Management of the 32nd America's Cup Sailing, said that he hoped America's Cup could come to China in 2006 with the approach of the 2008 Olympic Games.

    According to Bonnefous, General Manager and one of the initiators, with Ernesto Bertarelli, of the winning Swiss Team Alinghi in the 31st America's Cup, the 32nd America's Cup could have one of its preliminary races in Qingdao of China, venue of the Beijing 2008 sailing competition.

    The America's Cup in sailing are known as one of the three world-famous cups together with the World Cup in soccer and the Davis Cup in tennis.

    Statistics show that America's Cup sailing enjoys a wide TV coverage of 210 countries and regions in the world, with as many as 2.9 billion viewers. Following the last America's Cup held in February 2003, the 32nd America's Cup Sailing is scheduled for 2007 in Valencia of Spain.

    It was not accidental that America's Cup was attracted to China with the approach of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, especially when Formular One racing, NBA pre-season games, China Open tennis and other top-class international sports events have achieved huge successes in this country. However, as COC Secretary-General Gu Yaomin put it, "We are very interested in Mr Bonnefous's proposal, but the key to the question is that sailing is such as expensive and technique-demanding sport, is China ready for it yet?"