China's capital city Beijing is to invest 4.8 billion yuan, or some US$580 million to resolve the city's heavy traffic problems.
 
A local official says from this year on, the city's infrastructure construction will focus on the building of rails, including light rail and subway, and the improvement of existing roads.

He says Beijing's rail transportation will grow 40 kilometers each year and reach 300 kilometers by 2008, the year of the Beijing Olympic Games.

Last week the city's newly elected mayor Wang Qishan stressed the traffic problem in the city would not affect the Games

(CRI.com March 2, 2004)