China's household appliance giant Haier Group signed a deal on Friday in Beijing with the Organizing Committee of the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG), becoming the official white goods sponsor of the games.

Haier Group, headquartered in Qingdao, the coastal city that will host sailing events during the 2008 Games, will provide funds, products and related services to the Beijing 2008 Olympics and Paralympics, BOCOG, the Chinese Olympic Committee and the Chinese sports delegations to the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics and 2008 Olympics.

The Marketing Plan of the 2008 Olympic Games includes partnership, sponsorship, suppliership and licensing programs. Partnership, sponsorship and suppliership grant enterprises four-year exclusive marketing and promotion rights, while the licensing program authorize companies to produce and sell products with the official Olympic logo only after paying royalities to BOCOG.

BOCOG has signed nine partners so far, including Germany's automobile giant Volkswagen, Sinopec, CNPC, China Mobile and Bank of China, and four sponsors. It is scheduled to launch the suppliership program by the end of this year.

Source: Xinhua