Olympic Games to Accelerate Beijing's Modernization Drive

Holding Olympics in Beijing in 2008 is a historical chance the world gives to the capital and will surely advance the city's modernization by a big margin, said Tang Long, spokesman with Beijing Municipal Government.

"Beijing owes its success in winning Olympic bid to the correct decisions by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), improvement in Beijing's comprehensive urban strength and the full support from other parts of the country," said Tang, reiterating Beijing is fully capable of making 2008 Olympics Games "a unique treasure to China and to the world's sports".

Holding Olympic Games in China is a long cherished dream for Chinese people and realizing modernization is the objective that Chinese nation has been striving for, Tang went on.

According to him, Beijing drafted a new development strategy in the beginning of this century that it would lead the country in realizing the modernization by the year of 2008 and be built into one of the world's first-class metropolises.

Though Beijing is faced with problems including air pollution, shortages of water resources, traffic jam and rebuilding of dangerous and dilapidated houses, the historical mission of modernization and solemn commitments made to the Olympics will make the people of Beijing to work harder and create a New Beijing and Great Olympics with their talent and courage, said Tang.

In the next five years, Beijing will pump 180 billion yuan into construction of urban infrastructure, of which, a half will be spent on projects of transportation, including subways, light rails, expressways and airports.

With the construction of 29 large facilities for Olympic Games, the urban outlook and living conditions of local residents in Beijing will improve greatly.

In the next five years, Beijing will also finish the task of rebuilding more than nine million sq. m of dangerous and old apartment flats, and the per capita living floor space will rise to 18 sq. m.

Cultural and historical sites in this ancient Chinese national city will also be better protected, with the injection of 1.73 billion yuan of special fund in place, said Tang.

He added that holding in Olympics Games in Beijing in 2008 would also produce far-reaching impact on people's way of thinking and behavior in addition to advancing the economic and social development in Beijing.

(People’s Daily 07/15/2001)


In This Series

Beijing: A City of Expectation and Confidence

Beijing: An Ancient Capital With New Ideas

Beijing Opens Tourist Route to Poor County

Beijing City Planning Protects Historic Sites

People in Beijing Rethink Their Burial Customs

New Ways Adopted to Treat Garbage

Beijing to Become Greener

Beijing Deregulates Private Economy

Beijing's 4th Ring Expressway Opens

"Green Office," a Way of Life

Beijing Cooks up Healthier Food Plan

References

City Confident as 2008 Vote Nears

Beijing Aims at Lively, Cultural 2008 Olympics

Spirit of Olympics Provokes Nationwide Support in China

US NGOs Back Beijing's Olympic Bid

The Man Who Painted Beijing

More Roads to Facilitate Beijing's Traffic

Construction of Major Roads Helps Shorten Travel Time

China Leaps for Glory with Games Bid

Concert of Three Top Tenors Attracts Artists' Attention

Beijing Economically Capable of Hosting Olympics Games

A Big Win for China

No Chinese Olympians Fail in Anti-Doping Test

Zhang Yimou and 2008 Olympic Games

Beijing to Update Sports Facilities

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