A senior Chinese security official Thursday said Beijing will work closely with law enforcement agencies from other countries to host a safe Olympic Games in 2008.

"With the improved preparation of the Olympic Games and international cooperation -- particularly that with Greece -- Beijing in 2008 will definitely offer safe and successful Games," said Sun Mingshan, a senior ranking official from China's Public Security Ministry.

Sun Mingshan arrived Wednesday on a four-day official visit. He held talks with Greece's Public Order Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis and other senior law enforcement officials Thursday.

Voulgarakis said Greece and China are close to reaching an agreement for security training and intelligence sharing.

"We are in the phase of concluding the final document of the agreement," Voulgarakis said. "We are ready to assist as much as we can and transfer the experience and know-how that we have, (including) intelligence sharing on security issues."

Athens spent an unprecedented $1.5 billion on Olympic security last year -- the first summer games held since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks -- and received regular security advice from several countries, including the United States and Britain.

During his stay in Athens, Sun Mingshan will visit the operation centers of Greek police, which coordinated security for the Athens Games, and observe a demonstration by an elite anti-terrorist unit.

Last week, a 20-member delegation from China's third largest city of Tianjin also held security talks in Athens. Tianjin, in eastern China, is one of five cities outside Beijing where Olympic events will be held.

(China Daily June 17, 2005)