Beijing Olympics organizers unveiled a long-anticipated action plan
Thursday as a guideline for the lengthy but lofty preparations for
the 2008 Summer Games.
With less than seven years until China's first Olympics, the
detailed plan is expected to accelerate the preparatory works and
lay down solid ground for the city's ambition to stage the
"best-ever" Games.
Officials from the Beijing
Organizing Committee of the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) said
they were keen to involve the public in supervision.
They welcomed advice via a telephone hotline and e-mail box which
were unveiled next to the plan, underlining the fact that everyone
should become involved in staging the most watched sports event in
the world.
"Beijing will now enter a fast-developing era, which is dominated
by Olympic-related preparations," said Liu Qi, BOCOG President and
Beijing Mayor.
The mayor briefly introduced the plan, focusing on venue
construction, the most crucial part of staging an Olympics.
"We hope the venues are practical not lavish while meeting demand
for the Olympics," he said.
Heavy consideration is being put on the use of the venues once the
Games have closed.
Most are planned to be turned into exhibition centers, museums or
hotels as Olympic organizers are turning their minds to finding
more practical uses.
Several innovative thoughts have been developed with officials set
to turn a 19,000-seat stadium inside the Olympic Green into the
National Circus Center or a colossal concert venue.
Many temporary seats are expected to be installed in the National
Swimming Center so that the seats can be replaced by artificial
sandy beach with palm trees, turning the center into a bay-like
playground after the Olympics.
But officials promised that the massive construction project -- the
biggest in China's history -- won't damage the historic sites which
partly represent the city's intense cultural heritage.
Officials also showed their confidence in improving the city's
environment, especially in meeting recent challenges posed by
sandstorms.
Answering a question from a reporter following the severe sandstorm
which engulfed Beijing in a apocalyptic yellow hue on March 20 on
whether such weather formations would affect the Games, BOCOG
Executive Vice-President Liu Jingmin gave a definite "No"
answer.
Liu said the government had made huge efforts to prevent the
seasonal natural phenomenon which affects Beijing in the spring
time and improvements have been seen.
"The Olympics will be run in summer so there is little possibility
of any sandstorm taking place," he said.
"But, we will bring sandstorms in other seasons under control by
2008."
Officials said they have a busy schedule to fulfill this year,
including starting international bids on construction of Olympic
venues and planning marketing strategies.
The bid for the Olympic Green which will hold the main stadium and
Olympic Village will go public next month.
The committee said they had not received any request from Taiwan
for co-hosting some Olympic competitions but the door still remains
open.
(China
Daily March 29, 2002)