1) Capital’s ITS to Serve 2008 Games
2) Broadcast Company Launched for 2008 Games
3) Olympic Officials Upbeat about 2008 Games
4) Olympic Press Center Starts Service
5) Beijing Olympic Wrestling Gym cuts 2000 seats
6) Design for the Tianjin Water Center Unveiled
7) BOCOG: Private Shops to be Allowed to Sell Olympic Products After 2006
8) Beijing Capital Airport Starts Expansion Construction
9) Olympic Badminton Gym to Move to Changping
10) Beijing Olympics to Boost Domestic Turf Industry Development
11) Bengbu Seeks Business Partners in Stadium Construction
12) Xinjiang Sports Center Awaits More Partners
13) Chinese to Have FBI Training For Beijing Olympics
1)Capital’s ITS to Serve 2008 Games
Beijing is stepping up its efforts to develop an intelligent transportation system (ITS) to serve the 2008 Olympics Games.
It is expected that modernization of traffic management in Beijing will be achieved by 2007, according to Quan Yongshen, director of the Beijing Transportation Research Center, a communications think-tank of the Beijing Municipal government.
The advanced traffic management system to be put into use in 2008 is expected to enhance the efficiency of Beijing’s existing road network by at least 20 percent. The system will use information technology to monitor the entire read network.
The public transportation systems including the subway lines and buses, will have a more efficient dispatching system and passengers will have a better access to information. Beijing is now building more metro lines ahead of the 2008 Games. It is expected that the total length of metro lines in Beijing will reach 300 kilometers by 2008 from the current 110 kilometers.
Quan believed the ITS is one of the most effective solutions for the rising transportation problems in Beijing.
(Source: China Daily, 10/14/2004)
2)Broadcast Company Launched for 2008 Games
Olympic planners met in Beijing on October 28, 2004 to kick off the Games Broadcasting Company, that intends to reach 4 billion people.
The first board meeting of the Beijing Olympic Broadcasting (BOB) Corporation Limited was held on October 28, 2004, marking the formal start of broadcasting activities for the Beijing Olympics.
Jiang Xiaoyu, vice president of BOCOG was named the company’s chairman of the board, while Berbruggen was named vice chairman. Chief Executive Officer of the IOC Olympic Broadcasting Services SA Manolo Romero will act as general manager.
As the host broadcaster of the 2008 Olympic Games, BOB will provide signals for broadcasters from all over the world, build and operate the International Broadcast Center and the necessary broadcast facilities in other venues, and provide related services during the Beijing Olympic Games.
By 2008, it will employ about 4,000 people. More than 4 billion viewers and listeners are expected to watch or listen to Olympic broadcast.
(Source: China Daily, 10/29/2004)
3)Olympic Officials Upbeat about 2008 Games
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge on Saturday spoke highly of Beijing's preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games after inspecting the city's venues. Rogge visited construction sites at the National Stadium, the main Olympic Stadium and the National Swimming Center. "I'm pleased with what I have seen. The venues will leave a great legacy for Beijing and China," said Rogge. "We're quite sure that the Games will be absolutely excellent," added the IOC chief. Rogge also opened the debriefing of the Athens Olympics.
In order to save costs and finetune the design, Beijing halted construction on several Olympic venues in August amid a nationwide drive to cut down on "white elephant" projects.
The city, which plans to spend about US$37 billion on the Games, is also mulling over adjustments to the location of five venues planned for the Games.
According to Gilbert Felli, IOC's Olympic Games executive director, the affected sports are softball, baseball, hockey, beach volleyball and tennis. Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympics (BOCOG) wants to move those sports, except for tennis, closer to the Olympic Green, located in the north end of the city. Rogge said it will be convenient for both athletes and spectators if venues are built within the Olympic Green.
(source: China Daily, 11/01/2004)
4)Olympic Press Center Starts Service
The Beijing Olympic Press Center was launched yesterday (11/01/04) to meet the increasing media demand for information about the Beijing 2008 Games.
Located at the Huabei Hotel in Beijing, the press center is jointly operated by the Media and Communications Department of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) and the Press Office of the Beijing Municipal Government. It will assist domestic and overseas media in their coverage of BOCOG’s preparatory efforts as well as other work undertaken by relevant municipal governmental departments, sources said.
Meanwhile, press conferences and media briefings will be held one a regular basis to ensure an authoritative and regular release of Olympics-related information.
The center will also organize social gatherings and cultural activities for domestic and international journalists.
It is expected some 22,000journalists from around the world will cover the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
(Source: China Daily, 11/02/2004)
5)Beijing Olympic Wrestling Gym cuts 2000 seats
According to news disclosed the by China Agricultural University, the design for the Beijing Olympic Wrestling Gymnasium will be modified based on the adjustments made to the Olympic Projects Design Outline. Previously Deputy President Ma Yingsheng and Administrative Assistant Zhang Wenli of the school met with the three excellent design companies and extended the Notice of Adjustments on the Excellent Design Works.
The new design outline requires the design companies to reduce the original 10000 seats to 8000, among which 2000 are temporary. Unnecessary construction space of 3000 sq. m will also be canceled.
The Notice requires that the modification and supplementations must be made on the basis of the original design document. On the condition of meeting the functional requirements, the design should allow the minimum construction scale on the most economic and reasonable cost, and the design companies must provide reliable and practical figures for such changes.
Ma Yingsheng emphasized that the design companies must give full consideration to the post game utility and operation of the Gymnasium and avoid leaving the venue unused and high maintenance cost.
6)Design for the Tianjin Water Center Unveiled
The design for the most important project of the Tianjin Olympic Center-Tianjin Water Center was finally selected in late August. The design won the bid out of 17 competitors and looks like a drop of water flickering in the wind.
Water is the fortune of Tianjin; it is also the theme of Tianjin Olympic Center. The design 'water cloud' perfectly showcases the theme by illustrating the features of water. The three main functional areas-the competition pool, the warming-up pool and the playing pool are sheltered in the 'water drop' in the form of 'water bubbles', each different in size and shape. The design also allows the pools to open not only in summer but in other seasons as well.
The Tianjin Water Center covers 50,000 sq. m and shelters 4000 seats. Main functional areas include the competition pool, the fitness pool, the entertainment pool and the business area.
7) BOCOG: Private Shops to be Allowed to Sell Olympic Products After 2006
Over the next two years, five to ten more Olympic shops will be licensed in China and the total Olympic shops will reach 20; but individuals who want to open such a shop will have to wait until 2006.
Tang Yonghong, Deputy Director of Licensing Division of Market Development Department of BOCOG, said that the licensed dealers and retailers will need to pay BOCOG 10% of its sales income, which is a compulsory condition to open an Olympic shop. Tang further explained that at the current stage BOCOG gives prior consideration to large competitive enterprises, because these enterprises are experienced and have an established distribution network, most importantly, they are able to take risks and cultivate the market. BOCOG will be likely to allow individuals to operate Olympic shops after 2006 if the Olympic products market develops as expected.
On the authorization of IOC, BOCOG is entitled to develop products of more than 40 categories. In the coming years BOCOG will gradually increase the variety of Olympic products, such as ties, porcelain and home textile products.
8) Beijing Capital Airport Starts Expansion Construction
Beijing Capital Airport Expansion Engineering Headquarters signed 9 contracts respectively with construction and supervision companies (such as Beijing Construction Engineering Group) on August 8, 2004. The contracts cover the construction and supervision of the land preparation and drainage projects including the T3B main wing, the communication center and the flight area.
The Capital Airport is an important international airport in China; its current annual passenger transportation volume has reached 35 million persons which will soon exceed the original expected 2005 passenger volume. The three functions being constructed are the key projects to improve the transportation capabilities of the Capital Airport.
On the signing ceremony a principal of the Expansion Engineering Headquarters disclosed that according to the construction scale approved by the State, the expansion aims to meet the functional requirements of 2015, and the annual passenger volume is designed to be 60 million persons, the annual freight volume 1.8 million tons and annual arriving and departing flights 500,000 times.
To serve the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the expansion projects must be completed before the end of 2007.
9) Olympic Badminton Gym to Move to Changping
On September 9, 2004, the Standing Committee of Beijing Municipal People's Congress held an conference on Beijing Olympic venues construction. Mr. Liu Zhihua, Vice Mayor of Beijing, said in his report that the Olympic badminton gym would move from the Beijing Technological University to Changping, which would possibly save CNY 600 to 700 million. The overall optimization and adjustment plan for some of the Olympic venues including the badminton gym will be discussed and finalized by the end of October.
10) Beijing Olympics to Boost Domestic Turf Iindustry Development
The Chinese turf industry will face new development opportunities brought along by the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. On the Forum of the Sustainable Development of the Chinese Turf Industry, it was reported that the import volume of turf seeds has exceeded ten thousand tons, and many international turf-related companies have come to explore the Chinese market. Currently in China, there are more than 5000 turf-related companies.
The development of the turf industry also boosted that of related educational subjects in China. More than 20 universities and colleges have opened opportunities to major in turf development. Beijing University of Forestry has opened urban turf and golf turf subjects, covering areas such as pasture, gardening, golf operation and sod management.
11) Bengbu Seeks Business Partners in Stadium Construction
Bengbu is a middle-sized city in Anhui province, with a population of more than 800,000 in the downtown area. At present, the sports facilities in Bengbu have served the sports and exercising needs of the city for more than 20 years and are dilapidated. According to a regulation jointly promulgated by the National Sports Committee and the National Urban and Rural Construction Ministry in 1986, cities with a population of 500,000-1 million should possess 1 stadium of 20,000-30,000 seats, 1 gymnasium of 4000-6000 seats, 1 swimming gym of 2000-3000 seats and 1 shooting range. Bengbu did not meet the above fundamental standards in its construction of sports facilities 20 years ago; now with the increasing need for more sports venues from the public, Bengbu is on the way to make things change.
Ms Hu Shanbao, a Representative of the Municipal People's Congress, proposed during this year's congress that the lack of sports facilities must be solved as soon as possible. Her plan was to build 1 stadium and 3 gymnasiums (1 gym, 1 swimming gym and 1 shooting range). She suggested that in the event that the government was not able to fund the plan, the municipal sports administration could try other channels to attract investment in order to solve the problem.
Mr. Lu Peihou, Director of Bengbu Municipal Sports Administration, says that Bengbu seldom hosts national sports competitions, which is a disadvantage to attract social funding. The best solution available for the present is to seek cooperative partners and to sell the naming rights of the stadium and other business rights. Bengbu Sports Administration welcomes companies that are interested in the sports development in Bengbu to explore possibilities of working together for the benefit of both Bengbu and the investors.
12) Xinjiang Sports Center Awaits More Partners
According to Mr. Liu Yi, Director of Xinjiang Sports Center, many companies have contacted the center in favor of its economic and social returns.
The Philips Group China Office has sponsored sports facilities and equipments worth CNY 500,000 to the center, in return, its logo or product signboard will be hung over an appointed balcony in the center for 3-5 years. Enterprises in Xinjiang are active in sharing the opportunity as well. Jinshan Petrochemical Co., Ltd of Kelamayi city sponsored its new road surface product - 184m¡ym colored asphalt as well as the installation services. Some enterprises have reached an agreement with Xinjiang Sports Center to cooperate in the IT advertisement, exposition, sports events, cultural shows, grassroots physical exercising and convention reception etc. Prices of real estate neighboring the Xinjiang Sports Center have soared up and many companies are seeking new business chances in the area.
13) Chinese to Have FBI Training For Beijing Olympics
Some Chinese security personnel will receive FBI’s Special agents training in the United States for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made the announcement at a press conference, reported China Radio International.
The FBI said that it will train Chinese Trainees to ensure the security of 2008 Beijing Olympics.
An official of the FBI said that the training for Chinese trainees will be the same to other countries’ trainees.
After the 9/11 terrorist attack, the United States has enlarged the cooperation with China against terrorism, and this time it will make the cooperation up to a new stage.
(Source: http://www.chinabidding.org/news/view.asp?id=6109)