EDUCATION | SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY | CULTURE | PUBLIC HEALTH | SPORTS

Beijing Bids for Hosting 2008 Olympic Games

Urban traffic control has a direct bearing on the normal progress of the Olympics. Beijing is making greater efforts to build the express highway network around the city and rail transport projects including subway and light railway, expand its air transportation capacity, build highway interchanges, and increase the public transport capacity and the number of taxis. Many delegates from international sports federations who visited Beijing agreed that they were deeply impressed by Beijing’s public security and traffic administrative sectors and their modern traffic control system, advanced traffic information system, scientific traffic organizational system as well as traffic safety publicity system. Beijing’s experience in traffic control for large events and its plans for guaranteeing smooth traffic during the 2008 Olympic Games are convincing, they said.

The recent years have witnessed rapid development of international telecommunications industry. The coming of the “digital age” will draw the world closer together. Digital information transmission is an important means ensuring information exchange and real-time transmission during the Olympics, and also one of the important targets to be evaluated for a candidate’s credentials to host the event. China’s advancement in this respect has convinced the international inspectors of Beijing’s capability in communications and informational transmission services. In addition, various inspection groups learned in Beijing that it would be possible to broadcast the 2008 Games live via mobile phone.

Beijing has also put environmental protection high on its agenda. It decided last year to invest US$5.5 billion in the following three years to tackle the pollution problem, which greatly outnumbers the figure of US$1.3 billion for the year 1999. The Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau has set out four tasks: First, it is to prepare an environment impact report for the site selection and design of the main venues for the 2008 Games. Second, it is to work out an environmental protection plan for the years 2003-07 based on the adopted 10-year plan from 2000 to 2010. The main goals to be achieved by the year 2007 include: The rate of urban sewage treatment will reach 90 percent; all urban waste will be subject to detoxifying treatment; the coverage of trees in the city is to reach 50 percent; 40 percent of the urban areas to be covered with greenness; annual utilization of natural gas citywide to reach 4 billion cubic meters; and the distribution of industries to be readjusted continually. Third, in view of possible impact of various Olympic events on the environment, it is to work out corresponding protection measures. Finally, it is to prepare the environmental protection part of the required Candidature Files, including relevant laws, regulations and standards to be revised and improved in future, action plans for environmental protection as well as organizational solutions to the environmental protection.

Work on Beijing's bid has been carried out with the themes of "greenery, humanity and high technology" at the core. All the stadiums and gymnasiums will be renovated or built to meet the requirements of various international sports federations. Site selection, design, construction and after-games utilization will fully reflect the concept of "Green Olympics, High-Tech Olympics, and People's Olympics."

The 2008 Games is expected to have 28 events. Starting on October 16, 2000, 28 delegations from international sports federations visited Beijing to inspect existing and planned Games facilities. By December 28, Beijing had received formal letters of approval from all 28 international sports federation delegations. According to IOC rule, the international sports federations for the 28 events must visit the candidate cities to make sure that they are capable to host the Games in terms of traffic, telecommunications, reception and sports facilities, and issue a formal letter of approval.

According to the plan of BOBICO, to host the 28 events, 37 stadiums and gymnasiums will be used for competition and 58 facilities for training. Of the 37 stadiums and gymnasiums for competition, 32 are in Beijing and the remaining five in other Chinese cities. Among the 32 stadium facilities in Beijing, 13 are now available, 11 will be constructed as already planned and the remaining eight will be built specially for the Olympics.

On December 13, 2000, the BOBICO delegation made a presentation at the IOC's Lausanne headquarters. BOBICO President and Beijing Mayor Liu Qi said Beijing has the confidence, conditions and capability to make the 2008 Olympic Games a remarkable event. BOBICO Secretary-General Wang Wei introduced in detail what Beijing had done, including the organizational setup of BOBICO, Beijing's determination to hold "Green Olympics, High-tech Olympics and People's Olympics", plans concerning stadium facilities as well as Beijing residents' enthusiasm in learning English and protecting environment to back the city's bid endeavor.

At 10 am, on January 17, 2001, the five-member BOBICO delegation headed by Wang Wei handed over the required Candidature Files to the IOC. The dark red-covered Candidature Files, containing 596 pages, introduce in detail Beijing's plan for the Olympic bid in both English and French and illustrated with charts, graphs and photos.

Between February 20 and March 30, 2001, the IOC Evaluation Commission undertook inspection and evaluations of the five candidate cities. Beijing was their first stop. On February 20-23, the IOC Evaluation Commission headed by Chairman Hein Verbruggen made a four-day inspection of Beijing. The Evaluation Commission gave high marks to the efforts made by the Beijing 2008 Games bidders. The IOC team also appreciated the very strong support of the Chinese Government and the public for the Olympic bid as well as Beijing's plans for different events and the construction of stadium facilities. BOBICO said the positive appraisal of the Evaluation Commission enhanced Beijing's confidence to offer the world the best ever and also most unforgettable Olympiad.

On March 30, the IOC Evaluation Commission wound up its inspection of the five candidate cities bidding for the 2008 event. Although all the rival cities have got high marks during the Evaluation Commission's inspection tour, BOBICO remains confident. As its Vice-President Liu Jingmin said, "All the other four candidate cities have done very well when they were inspected by the IOC Evaluation Commission, but this has not made us feel under great pressure because Beijing has its own advantages."

Moscow, 10:10 pm, July 13, 2001, President Juan Antonio Samaranch of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced, "Now, the results of the voting—the Games of the 29th Olympiade in 2008 are awarded to the city of...Beijing." It is at this moment that a long-cherished dream of Chinese people came true.

To gain the right to stage the Olympics is the shared desire of the 1.3 billion Chinese people. In July 1990, late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping first proposed China's Olympic bid. Despite a failed first bid in 1993 (for the 2000 Olympics), the Chinese people's unremitting longing and wholehearted enthusiasm for the Olympic movement never weakened over the ensuing eight years.

The Olympic bid had always been a subject of public attention and the entire nation had joined in efforts for this purpose. Today's China, featuring a flourishing economy, political stability, wide-ranging ethnic unity and a progressive society, is acquiring increasingly strong comprehensive strength, where people live and work in peace and contentment.

This lays a solid foundation for a successful Beijing Games in 2008. As for Beijing, its appearance is changing with each passing day, with especially prominent improvements in its environment and sports facilities. This vigorous city, as a perfect combination of the traditional and the modern, is resolved as well as capable and conditionally ready to present the best ever games to the world.

            The Olympic vote for Beijing indicates increasing international favor of China. An official report of the IOC Evaluation Commission says the Beijing Games would "leave a unique legacy to China and to sport". Since China, with one-fifth of the world population, is to host the Olympics, the Olympic movement will be incorporated in more people's lives and the Olympic spirit be developed more extensively.

Beijing's victory over the Olympic bid is a result of painstaking efforts and sweat. Beijing has pledged to work continuously in a down-to-earth way to fulfill its solemn promise to the world, that is, to construct first-class venues and provide a first-class environment and first-class service. Efforts will also be intensified to improve Beijing citizens' overall quality in order to substantiate the bid slogan advocating "New Beijing, Great Olympics".

Beijing in 2008 deserves plentiful imagination. It is reasonable for people around the world to expect the Chinese people will make the games an unprecedented success in the Olympic history. At this triumphant moment, the Chinese Government and Chinese people also owe a great deal to our friends all over the world for their enormous help: Thanks, the International Olympic Commission; thanks to our compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and all overseas Chinese; and thanks, the entire international community!

　 1 | 2