Adidas became the latest company to defend its involvement in the Beijing Olympics while trying not to offend China, when it highlighted on Friday the exceptional importance of human rights protection..."Adidas is conscious of the exceptional importance of the protection of human rights...Sponsors, however, should not be expected to solve political issues. We clearly see the limits of our influence. We believe that boycotting the Olympics is counterproductive and will therefore uphold our commitment to the Olympic Games." [also refers to Carrefour, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Visa]