Beijing will unveil its modified budget for the 2008 Olympic Games in 2005, said a top official in Beijing on Friday.

Wang Qishan, executive president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG), made the remarks at the second plenum of the organizing committee.

"As circumstances have changed over the past several years since Beijing won the Olympic bid, we have adjusted the budget accordingly for the 2008 Games," said Wang.

"The new budget will be submitted to the International Olympic Committee for approval in May," added the Beijing mayor.

Operational cost of the 2008 Games had originally been budgeted at US$1.609 billion, while Beijing's total input on infrastructure and other Olympic-related fields could reach US$37 billion.

But in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States and the SARS epidemic in 2003, Beijing was forced to increase the budget in the fields like security and health.

According to Wang, the Olympic torch relay route and the mascot will also be unveiled this year.

BOCOG is planning to carry the Olympic torch over the world's highest peak Mount Qomolangma in 2008, and its selection of an Olympic mascot is well under way.

Also on BOCOG's 2005 work agenda is finalizing the competition schedule of the 2008 Olympics.

"To date, we have finished working out the schedules for nine sports, including handball, gymnastics and equestrian," said BOCOG's other executive president Liu Peng.

(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2005)