RIGA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing Olympics will combine traditional Chinese culture with advanced achievement in recent years, which is also an important guarantee for success of the upcoming sports event, Latvian sinologist Jelena Staburova said Monday.

Staburova, director of the Confucius Center of Riga Stradins University, has been diving into the Chinese culture and history and pays much attention to the development process of China.

In an interview with Xinhua, Professor Staburova said the year of 2008 is very significant for China -- the Olympic Year and marks the 30th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up policy.

She said, "China made use of its experience and achievement in the past 30 years in its preparation work. The Beijing Olympics will add scientific and technological achievement into the traditional culture, which will ensure that the Games will be held successfully in China."

Staburova said the Chinese government and people have made a "great contribution" to the Olympics. They have carried out large-scale and heavy preparation work in various fields such as athletic sports, the construction of venues, transportation, technology, environment and coordination among people and different departments.

All preparation work for the Beijing Olympics is highly effective and orderly, she said, adding that China will host a special and high-level Olympic Games.

Staburova said in order to better prepare the Olympics, citizens in Beijing initiated a series of civilization activities to greet the Olympics, for instance, taxi divers in the city generally attended English training class.

In Staburova's point of view, all of these have shown Chinese people's respect for guests, hospitality and amity.

Being respectful and passionate is one of typical features of Chinese civilization and Chinese culture, she said.

Staburova, who translated the Analects of Confucius in Latvian, quoted a famous saying from the ancient Chinese sage, "How happy we are, To meet friends from afar!"

"It conveys the Chinese characteristics of the Beijing Olympics: Greeting friends from around the world with Chinese hospitality," she said.

Making acquaintance with many Chinese, Staburova said the Chinese people smile a lot and are willing to help others.

The first thing occurred to her when talking about the Chinese is "kindness," according to the senior sinologist.

"Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, a great Russian litterateur, once said 'beauty saves the world,' but in China, you will have a clear feeling that 'kindness saves the world,'" she said.

The sinologist noted China is an "amazing" country with its people as the most "important asset."

"As China is a 'strong country' and the Chinese people the 'unyielding and objective-oriented' people, any hardship cannot undermine their confidence and determination to hold a successful Olympic Games."

Besides, the wealth and cohesiveness brought by the Olympics will help the victims in the earthquake in Sichuan province and boost China's further development, she added.

Having a special bond with China, Staburova stressed she would cheer athletes from three countries, namely, Russia where she was born, Latvia where she is living and China, "a great country."