Beijing Gives Pep Talk for 2008 Olympics Bid

Beijing Gives Pep Talk for 2008 Olympics Bid

Believing the 2008 Olympics bid is a business of the entire city, Beijing called on its 10-million residents to turn their ardour into action for the "glorious and lofty" mission on Friday.

Jia Qingling, secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, addressed a mass rally that people from all walks of life should add a new chapter to Beijing's modernization drive by "unite their strength and combine their wisdom" in the Olympic campaign. "Over 10 million Beijingers should become the mainstay in the Olympic bid," said Jia, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee.

Jia rallied all grassroots units to throw themselves into the bid which will "speed up the pace of infrastructure building, improve ecological environment and promote local civilization level".

Beijing, together with Paris, Toronto, Osaka and Istanbul, has been shortlisted by the International Olympic Committee for the 2008 Games bid on Monday.

Fully aware of the intense competition ahead, Jia and other municipal officials detailed to a 1,000-strong crowd their expectations: the grassroots units of the communist party and mass party members are urged to play the leading role in the bid; neighborhoods and townships administration are expected to develop better community service.

And college students should regard the bid as an opportunity of honing their skills and opening their horizon; police departments are responsible for securing a safe environment for living and working; public service departments should work for the image of the city. The Beijing government leaders also pledged to enhance the ecological environmental protection and accelerate infrastructure construction. "We should make use of the Olympic bid as a golden chance to promote our modernization drive," Jia stressed.