The central government and the Beijing municipal government have planned to jointly invest 100 billion yuan (US$12.05 billion) in the project during 1998 to 2008.

Xie Zhenhua, director of the State Environmental Protection Administration, said some of the money - 47.6 billion yuan (US$5.73 billion) - has already been spent, between 1998 and 2000.

"The remaining capital is expected to be invested step by step until 2008."

Xie said although the air quality in Beijing now is not as clean as Paris - another candidate for the 2008 Games - the capital city will become as clean, if not cleaner, by the year 2008.

"According to the municipal government's plan, the money spent on environmental protection will make up 5 percent of the city's gross domestic product (GDP) during the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-05) period," said Shen Baochang, director with the Beijing Development Planning Commission.

Beijing's GDP reached 240 billion yuan (US$28.92 billion) last year, and the annual increase rate is expected to be 9 percent on a year-on-year basis from 2001 to 2005.

The environmental projects are focusing on cleaning the air, treating sewage and minimizing industrial pollution.

"We would like foreign companies and domestic non-governmental enterprises to participate in the projects," Shen indicated.

So far, preferential policies involving registration, taxation, market admission and compensation funds have been laid out by the municipal government.

Another target for 2005 is to make sure forestry and greenery cover 70 percent of Beijing's mountain areas and 25 per cent of its plain areas respectively.

"We are trying to turn Beijing into a garden-style city before 2005. This will improve Beijingers' living standards and mean more support in our bid to host the Games," Shen added

(China Daily 01/12/2001)