A crack team of marksmen for the security of 2008 Olympic Games have been set up by Beijing police after a month of trials involving more than 200 of the force's best shots.

The final 30 marksmen chosen from the trials that ended on September 1 were yesterday awarded medals. The top 10 were named "Elite Marksman" with the remaining 20 labelled as "Excellent."

The 30 sharpshooters will be the first in line to deal with kidnappings, riots and incidents involving firearms, said Ma Qiang, a senior official with the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau who was in charge of the trials.

"They will become the first batch of top marksmen in a talent pool of the city's police force," said Ma, adding that the pool includes other officers with outstanding skills in a variety of fields, such as forensics, bomb disposal and negotiations.

"Of course, the sharpshooters will become an important force to safeguard the security of the 2008 Games," Ma noted.

He said the shooting trials would be held annually in order to reinforce the elite force and enhance the marksmanship of the Beijing police.

"The outcome of the first selection is very encouraging," Ma said. "The 206 contestants were selected from around the city. Eighty-three per cent of them met the standard of excellence during the first phase and 73 per cent did so during the second phase."

Zhang Xipeng, the best marksman overall, said he felt honoured to become a member of the task force for Olympic security.

"I am ready to go into any riot situation or other armed crime scene," said the 24-year-old, who works at the Criminal Investigation Division under the bureau.

"However, what I really want is that I never have to use my gun in a real situation. After all, people want a stable and peaceful society. I hope our sharpshooters can serve as a deterrent to potential offenders," Zhang said, holding his gold medal.

Following the subway and bus bombings that killed more than 50 people this July in London, host to the 2012 Olympics, Chinese officials have been talking about stepping up security for the 2008 Games.

The city has invited international experts to comment on its security plans and is learning from other countries about security checks at large public events.

Beijing police last month signed a declaration with capital police agencies of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as Japan and the Republic of Korea in order to enhance police co-operation.

According to the declaration, all parties will set up a regular liaison mechanism for intelligence sharing and joint actions against terrorist threats and cross-boarder crime.

Ma Zhenchuan, director of the public security bureau, said Beijing police are seeking extensive international co-operation on Olympic security. "We hope that wider participation by our international colleagues will help upgrade our security network for the Games."

(China Daily September 9, 2005)