In a conference call from Beijing, Gov. Matt Blunt told reporters yesterday evening - Thursday morning in China - that he has no qualms with the country hosting this summer’s Olympics.

Blunt kept his overseas chat brief, focusing mostly on the trip’s stated agenda of convincing Chinese trade partners to consider making Lambert Field a hub for commerce.

He didn’t get into what the delegation has been doing on their off-time, which would have been interesting considering the diverse company. Joining Blunt on the trip is Mayor Francis Slay, County Executive Charlie A. Dooley, Sen. Kit Bond and Sen. Claire McCaskill, who Blunt defeated for governor in 2004.

Blunt said he does not support efforts to boycott the Olympic games, a movement spurred by the country’s violent crackdown of protesters in Tibet.

“It’s a decisions for federal policy makers,” Blunt said. “By and large, I think the Olympics should be centered around athletes and not politics.”

There are, though, exceptions, Blunt said. Had Americans known then what they know now, Blunt said the U.S. should have acted differently in the 1936 Olympics, hosted by Germany as the Nazis were coming to power.

But in China, Blunt said he has not witnessed any indication that the government is abusing its citizens.

“I have not seen anything that has given me pause - obviously, Beijing is a long way from Tibet,” Blunt said.

A worker puts finishing touches on the “Olympic Village” in Beijing