All over the world the reporting on preparation for the Beijing 2008 Olympics is a hot topic for every newspaper. Reading the reports one senses a slow change from downright hostility to something approaching reason. Perhaps before too long the press will become Beijing Games 2008 boosters. Or perhaps that is too much to ask.

This report from Nova Scotia states China will be on target to host arguably the most spectacular, competitive and expensive Games in history.

Beijing is spending a record $34 billion to build and renovate 37 competition venues and construct hundreds of miles of new highways and subway lines.

(It is difficult to separate the figures out. What is normal improvement to the country’s superstructure and what is special efforts from the Games? Frequently the publicity fuzzies the picture but the figure quoted seems, on the face of it, to be an over-estimate.)

This report takes a slightly negative stance: ‘While the country’s Communist Party governance may be adept at meeting schedules, officials may be unable to clear Beijing’s air and prevent gridlock during the 16-day-long Games.’

In fact, Beijing has already demonstrated it can prevent gridlock by just banning a lot of cars from the roads and, now, making a lot of bicyles available.

Pollution is another matter but the government has already started pushing polluting industry away from Beijing while others will be closed down for the duration of the Games.

A study of 15 large Asian cities released in January by the Asian Development Bank found Beijing suffered the dirtiest air, with 142 micrograms of pollution particles per cubic metre. That was five times New York City’s average and more than seven times above the World Health Organization’s target for large cities.

Sun Weide, deputy director for the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games said that to improve air quality during the Games, Beijing will force vehicles with substandard emissions off the roads, restrict production at factories in Beijing and surrounding areas and increase parkland. He said 28 million trees were planted in and around Beijing last year.

Beijing has kept construction on schedule. The 91,000-seat National Stadium and all other venues will be completed by March.

To smooth the way for as many as 1.5 million tourists expected to visit Beijing during the Olympics, Beijing is building a $3.6 billion airport addition that will more than double its size.

And the attitude towards visitors will be improved. Sun Weide said, ‘The Olympic Games will provide lots of opportunity for education. We’re trying to encourage the public to use elegant language, provide good service and of course to refrain from all kinds of spitting or cutting in line.’

The sudden world attention during the Olympics will be a ‘catalyst’ for positive change, according to International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge.

He said, ‘I am convinced that as much as the Games will enable the people of China to develop a new vision of their own society, they will help athletes and visitors gain a fairer perspective on China.’
Source: ChronicleHerald