Fully aware that lies
ahead, Beijing is still confident about its bid to host the 2008 Olympic
Games and is constructing five sports facilities, while renovating
5
"The only one of the five final candidates that is from a developing
country, Beijing boasts no advantage in facilities and environment.
But this also gives us boundless potential for development,'' said
Liu Jingmin, vice-executive chairman of the Chinese capital's bid
committee for 2008 Olympic Games, Friday.
Liu was reporting the status of the bid to the Beijing Municipal People's
Political Consultative Conference. Next week, the conference will
stage a comprehensive inspection of the city's transportation and
sanitation for the sake of the bid.
Beijing's design for the Olympic Green -- the area where athletes
will train, rest and compete -- won the most applause in the preliminary
round of bidding, according to Liu.
Located at the north end of the city's ancient axis, the park includes
the 405-hectare first-rate Beijing International Exhibition and Sports
Center, the 760-hectare Wali Forest Park and the 50-hectare Chinese
Nationalities Museum.
In addition, there will be three minor but world-class sports areas
in Wukesong and neighboring districts of Fengtai, Haidian and Changping.
Liu mentioned that the city has gained wide support for implementing
this large-scale construction.
The example set by the Sydney Olympic Games, which concluded last
month, as well as the environmentally friendly project designs, have
convinced people that the construction will eventually benefit rather
than detract from the city, said Liu.
The bid committee has already signed an announcement with 20-plus
prestigious non-governmental organizations to make Beijing's bid for
2008 Olympic Games environmentally friendly.
Beijing's environment is expected to be among the best of the world
in an all-round way by the end of 2007, according to the announcement.
In a related development, the last year has seen the number of hits
on the 2008 Beijing Olympic bid's official website jumped from the
original tens of thousand each day to an average half a million a
day.
The only one of the five final candidates that is from a developing
country, Beijing boasts no advantage in facilities and environment.
But this also gives us boundless potential for development.''
(China Daily 10/20/2000) |
