To run a successful Olympics is the obligation not only of Beijingers, but also of the people of the whole country, said the members, who are here attending the annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Many of them have also put forward suggestions focusing on improvement of the environment.

Ye Wenhu, a member of the Ninth CPPCC National Committee, said that Beijing should make it a central target to improve air quality and promote the use and development of clean energy resources and quality fuel.

He also called for efforts to further adjust the structure of energy resources and control automobile emissions to improve environmental protection in the national capital.

In Beijing, 90 percent of the carbon dioxide and 40 percent of the particulate matter in the air come from coal burning, and some 50 percent of the oxynitride are produced by automobiles.

Ye and other CPPCC members also suggested Beijing speed up the restructuring and upgrading of traditional industries and the development of high-tech industries to reduce industrial pollution.

CPPCC member Dong Qinjun from Shanxi Province, north China, said that environmental improvement in neighboring areas is also very important to guarantee an environment-friendly Olympics in Beijing.

He called on provinces and autonomous regions around Beijing to pay high attention to local environmental improvement so as to make due contributions to a successful "green" Olympics.

(Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2002)