Beijing to Spend US$20m on Olympic Bid

Beijing has launched a huge campaign after being chosen August 28 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as one of the five finalists including Paris, Toronto, Osaka, and Istanbul bidding for hosting the 2008 Olympics. Reliable sources say a US$ 20m budget will be spent on Beijing's 2008 bid.

2008 Olympic bid has already become a mass mobilization drive calling for an active part by every Chinese in China, including those in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, said Liu Jingmin in HK Thursday, who is vice mayor of the capital and vice-executive chairman of Beijing 2008 Olympic Bid Committee.

Thursday morning saw Mayor Liu Qi briefed HKSAR executive chief Tung Chee Hwa on Beijing's 2008 Olympic bid. Tung, in turn, expressed on behalf of Hong Kong people their ardent support for Beijing's Olympic bid.

Though China had lost to Sydney in 2000 Olympic bid, it has full confidence in winning the 2008 Olympics bid. This is because Beijing has many advantages, said Mayor Liu. First, China is fully backed by a population of as many as over 1.2bn in its Olympic bid. Second, twenty years' reform and opening has immensely advanced China's economic construction showing huge market potential. On the frontlines of modernization construction, Beijing will help give the fullest play to the role and spirit of 2008 Olympics. Third, Beijing is a metropolis with a long history and time-honored culture, which can effectively push Oriental/Occidental cultural exchanges. Fourth, Chinese athletes' top-form performance in Sydney demonstrates China's strength in developing world sports. Fifth, of the five finalists, some have been made host of Olympic Games more than once; in contrast, China hasn't yet been given a chance. This will also benefit Beijing from a view of fairness in opportunities.

However, being a finalist from developing countries, Beijing will surely encounter many unfavorable factors, such as comparatively backward infrastructure and lack of understanding by international community, Liu pointed out. But after eight years' strenuous effort made for infrastructure construction Beijing will still be in a position, as is going to be shown by an IOC Moscow vote early coming year, to have the fullest competence and ability to host a new high-level Olympiad, he said.



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