More than 600 Taiwan people have applied to be volunteers for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the Special Olympic Games by the end of May this year, an official with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said in Beijing Wednesday.

Dai Xiaofeng, director of communication bureau of the office, told Xinhua that the 2008 Beijing Olympics is an honor for Chinese across the Taiwan Straits, and the number of applicants shows the enthusiasm of Taiwan compatriots to take part in the event.

The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) and Beijing Olympic Games Volunteer Work Coordination Group officially launched the volunteers recruitment from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign countries in March this year.

Application in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign countries will conclude by the end of March 2008.

There will be 100,000 Games-time volunteers for the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, with about 70,000 for the Olympic Games and about 30,000 for the Paralympic Games.

To date, there are altogether 560,000 applicants almost a year after the recruitment began, outnumbering any of the games in the history of the world's largest sports gala.

The BOCOG on April 26 unveiled the 137,000-kilometer torch relay route for the 2008 Olympics, including a stop at Taipei.

(Xinhua News Agency September 6, 2007)