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If Beijing wins the right to host the 2008 Olympic Games, it is
economically capable of hosting the quadrennial event.
Beijing Mayor Liu Qi made the remarks in a meeting on November
8 with Robert Carr, governor of the New South Wales State of Australia.
Beijing is one of the five bidders for the 2008 Games. The other
cities include Paris, Osaka, Toronto and Istanbul.
Liu's confidence has been underlined the fact that Beijing's annual
rate of economic growth averaged 9.8 percent in the past five years
and the financial revenue increased by 20 percent on a yearly basis.
The mayor said that Beijing is fully in the position of meeting
the cost of building Olympic stadiums and venues, which only accounts
for a small percentage of what Beijing invested in infrastructure.
"Beijing has invested over 300 billion Yuan (RMB) in infrastructure
in the past five years. While the investment needed for Beijing
to build Olympics stadiums is estimated to stand at 13 billion Yuan,"
he said.
"What is more, Beijing, if winning the right to host the Games,
has still six or seven years to prepare the Olympic facilities,"
he added.
Liu said that Beijing invested heavily in the infrastructure not
only for the sake of the Olympic bid, but also the need raised by
the development of the city.
"For the five years to come, Beijing is preparing a five-year
plan, which the economic growth rate will be kept at about 9 percent
on average," said Liu.
Carr, who has visited Beijing for quite a few times, also echoed
that Beijing has impressed him greatly as being like a city which
has hosted a Olympics Games.
"Today's Beijing is just like Sydney in bid for the 2000 Games,"
said Carr. "Beijing is currently an exciting city."
He said that if Beijing wins, it is certain that the city will
put on a wonderful Games.
"Anyone who has visited Beijing will come to a conclusion
that Beijing has the ability to host the 2008 Games," said
Carr.
Carr is heading a delegation here for talks with the Beijing 2008
Olympic bidding committee, saying that they are willing to give
a helping hand to Beijing's bid.
"We are very pleased to exchange views with Beijing on the
experiences in bidding and hosting Olympics," he said.
Carr came to Beijing after visiting the southern city of Guangzhou,
capital of Guangdong Province which has sister relations with New
South Wales. He leaves Thursday for Shanghai.
(People's Daily 11/08/2000)
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