The Chicago Tribune has published a full and well research summary of the importance of the Olympic Games.

It asks when was the last time that China was as confident, prosperous and engaged with the world as it is likely to be at the 2008 Beijing Olympics?

And the answer comes from Wang Xiaofu, a history professor at Beijing University — ‘About 1,300 years ago.’

The article sees the potential. But also sees the potential risks.

The games are hotly anticipated among ordinary Chinese who, by and large, see it as a collective triumph — a rare cause for unity in a nation divided by class, ethnicity and opportunity.

But with 20,000 foreign journalists expected to be on hand, critics at home and abroad are also getting ready to use the occasion as a chance to amplify pressure on China and, at the same time express their dismay and, perhaps, jealousy at China’s success.

Organizers face a dilemma: Clamp down too hard on protesters, and images will be beamed around the world showing foreign guests crushed by a one-party state. But let rallies grow too far on sacred political ground such as Tiananmen Square, and authorities risk emboldening wider unrest.

In particular, the government will have to rely on street cops to differentiate between peaceful protesters and security threats.

Jia Qingguo, vice dean of the Beijing University School of International Studies said, ‘A lot of tough security measures are being developed to combat terrorism, and these people run the risk of being considered terrorists.’

Read the full and well researched article by clicking on source.
Source: Chicago Tribune

Beijing has claimed a marked drop in crime so far this year with police saying the fall sets a solid foundation for a safe Olympic Games.

In the first 10 months of 2007, Beijing police detained over 43,000 criminal suspects, an increase of 12% on the same period last year. The report said new crime cases fell by 2.7% over the same period, but did not give details.

Beijing crime detection officer Li Yuejie said, ‘The improved public security is a good foundation and necessary prelude for next year’s Olympics.’

Although much of China is relatively lightly covered by police, the capital is well supplied, especially at sensitive events such as Communist Party meetings.

Security will be even tighter during next year’s Olympic Games.

Beijing’s police chief said in September that some 80,000 guards including police officers and state-approved volunteers, would help security service forces at the Olympics.

Beijing’s first government data pool and emergency command center has commenced operations. The center will operate during and after the Olympics.

The Digital Beijing Building, located a few hundred meters northwest of the National Stadium, the main stadium for the Games, will be the central powerhouse of all statistical, visual and audio information from all 37 venues nationwide during the Olympics.

China Daily reported the center will be able to receive live images from spectator stands at all venues.

The center, 11 storeys high and two levels below ground, will continue to be the government’s command headquarters in the event of an emergency after the Games.

An official from the municipality’s IT office, who requested anonymity, said, ‘Here we have access to the cell phone network, the land phone network, the government’s network and the police network, either cable or wireless networks. That’s why we are able to respond as the command headquarters in times of an emergency. Because we have been working with five telecom and Internet service providers, we are basically a telecom headquarters.’

Experts said that with such a network, the city would be able to track phone and Internet communications in the event of a terrorist attack.

A total of 80,000 security guards, including police officers, professional security people, and government-approved volunteers, will join the security service forces for the 29th Olympic Games.

Ma Zhenchuan, police chief of Beijing, said they would offer ‘cordial, civilized, professional and high-quality security services.

So far, 25,000 security guards have been given orientation on the Olympic Games, international etiquette, different customs of religions and nations, first-aid and emergency responses.

The Beijing police department has even compiled 17 textbooks for the training of all the security people, as well as local residents.

The Chinese government has worked out 52 security plans and more than 500 smaller contingency plans concerning the operations of Olympic venues, anti-terror work, information collection and major events.

Liu Jing, Vice-Minister of Public Security said, ‘The Chinese government is fully confident, well-equipped and capable of ensuring the smooth operation of the Beijing Olympics.’

Beijing and other host cities, including Qingdao, Tianjin, Shanghai, Qinghuangdao and Hong Kong, have set up their own security headquarters for the Olympics, and the Ministry of Public Security will oversee their operations.

Our illustration is of a security exercise. Professional, yes. Cordial, probably not. That is not what that sort of security is about.
Source: Beijing Review

Ronald K. Noble, Secretary General of Interpol and seen here, said Interpol will deploy a support team to Beijing before the Olympics next year to help Chinese government with security preparations.

The team would provide detailed information on international criminal suspects, such as names, fingerprints, photographs and DNA profiles.

Ronald Noble made the remarks during an International Conference on Security Cooperation for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics in Beijing.

He said Interpol had designed its most ambitious passport and visa application screening process to identify stolen, lost and fraudulent travel documents as well as suspected terrorists and dangerous criminals.

Robald Noble said, ‘Terrorists will not use their real names, so they will use documents that were stolen or lost in order to conceal their identities. Our system will permit automated screening of thousands of individuals against Interpol’s global most-wanted databases at the time of their visa application, which will provide China with the most advanced early detection system of fraudulent travel documents and criminals currently available.’

He said Interpol’s around-the-clock Command and Coordination Center would give the highest priority to information relevant to the security of the Games that passes through its 186 member country network of Interpol National Central Bureaus.
Source: China View