Mr Sebastian Wood, Britain's Ambassador to China, talks with Chinadaily.com.cn through an email interview on his expectation and wishes for the one-year countdown to 2012 London Olympic Games.

Mr Sebastian Wood officially took office as the British Ambassador to China in January 2010.

While this is his first Ambassadorial appointment he has held a succession of other senior appointments with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, some with a strong China focus.

Mr Sebastian learnt Mandarin at the beginning of the 90s, before serving in the Joint Liaison Group in the run-up to the handover of Hong Kong. His other China-related work also included a posting in Washington following US foreign policy in Asia and latterly he was the FCO's Asia-Pacific Director before secondment to Rolls Royce.

 

Questions and Answers

Q: Wednesday marks the one-year countdown to the London Olympic Games, will the embassy hold any special activities to celebrate these crucial moments?

A: To celebrate one year to the Olympics in China, the Embassy, Visit Britain and British Council in China have partnered with Sina.com and British Airways to offer one lucky winner two return flights to the UK.

Our special One Year to Go Campaign will run for five days, from 23 -27 July and gives information on getting visas, buying tickets and visiting the UK, not just for tourism but also as an education and business destination.

The feature pages will be updated daily with video interviews of popular Olympians (Rider Alex Huatian, Gymnast He Kexin, Lifter Lu Yong and Judoist Yan Xilu) as well as the snooker player Ding Junhui.

On 27 July in Trafalgar Square, London, the invitation will go out to sports men and women around the world to form teams and compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The final countdown will begin.

Q: What did you think of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games? What do you think are some of the differences between Beijing and Londonin in the run-up preparation and promotion work before the Games?

A: We have a difficult task in following the wonderful Olympic Games that was held in Beijing in 2008. The distinctive feature of the UK games will be sustainability. We are determined to leave a lasting legacy for our communities and for future generations.

We have taken a sustainable approach to design and construction across all buildings, open spaces, parklands, infrastructure and public transport. All this will help regenerate a part of London whose communities can now benefit from improved facilities and infrastructure.

Q: Do you have a message for China Daily's readers regarding the games as the one year countdown is underway?

A: Today and for the next 12 months until the Games, we want to show you what makes the UK  such a great place to live, work, visit, invest and do business.

So that is why I want to extend that invitation to each and every one of you.

To students, I invite you to a country that is home to four of the top ten universities in the world, and welcomes thousands of you each year.

To business people, I invite you to a country that is one of the most open economies in the world, a global transport hub, the easiest place in Europe to set up and run a business; a country that is second in the world for Nobel Prizes in science and technology, and home to one of the world's largest and dynamic creative sectors.

To tourists, I invite you to a country that is home to a wide variety of stunning natural landscapes and lively, culturally-diverse towns and cities, including London, the great shopping capital. I invite you to a country that is home to three of the top five museums and galleries in the world, the best music festivals and 25 UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the world-famous Tower of London.

And to sports fans, I invite you to the home of the Premier League, the most popular football league in the world and the home of the world's first truly sustainable Olympic and Paralympic Games.

With 365 days to go, Britain stands ready to welcome the world to London– and you're invited.