OSAKA -- Osaka residents are voicing hope that their city will be viewed favorably by a group of International Olympic Committee officials visiting this week.

They also say, however, that the visit will probably make little difference to Osaka's bid to stage the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, as politics -- rather than logistics -- dictate that the Games will go to Beijing, Paris or Toronto.

And even those who support the bid have expressed fear that Osaka cannot afford to stage the Games and are concerned about its potential economic impact on the city.