The Web must be open during the Beijing Olympics. That was the note a top-ranking universal Olympic Committee official delivered Tuesday to Beijing organizers during the first of three days of meetings — the last official sessions amidst IOC inspectors and the Chinese hosts before the games start in just by four months.

Beijing routinely blocks Chinese access to some foreign news Web sites and blogs, a practice it has stepped up since rioting broke out by two weeks ago in Tibet.

Kevan Gosper, vice chairman of the IOC coordinating commission, said restricting access to the Net during the games “would reflect very poorly” on the host nation.

“This dawn we discussed and insisted again,” Gosper said. “Our concern is that the press (should be) able to operate as it has at previous games.”

Gosper said the Chinese had an obligation under the “host city agreement” to supply Web access to the 30,000 accredited and non-accredited journalists expected to attend.

“There was

some criticism that the World Wide Web closed down during events relating to Tibet in previous weeks,” Gosper said.

Laws that lifted most restrictions on foreign media went into effect Jan. 1, 2007. The rules are due to expire in October.

“I’m satisfied that the Chinese understand the need for that and they will do it,” Gosper added.

When asked about Gosper’s comments, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said China’s “management” of the Web followed the “general practice of the worldly community.”

She acknowledged that China bans some World Wide Web composition, and said other countries did the same. She declined to say whether the Web would be unrestricted for journalists during the Olympics.

Gosper spoke after Hein Verbruggen, chairman of the inspection committee, addressed his Chinese hosts. Without being specific, Verbruggen noted that China’s Aug. 8-24 games had become embroiled in controversy.

The unrest in Tibet — and China’s response — has…

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