Beijing will introduce a raft of temporary laws to ensure the
public's safety during the 2008 Olympic Games.
The proposed regulations would cover areas for transportation
management, environmental and health protection and security.
"The municipal government will conduct related research and hold
hearings to prepare a full list of regulations to the congress for
further discussion," Zhang Yin, deputy director with the
legislative affairs department under the Beijing Municipal People's
Congress, said during a press conference yesterday.
According to Zhang, those regulations would only be temporary
for the Games, and would not conflict with existing laws.
Apart from administrative measures, laws would also be adopted
this year to regulate air quality, volunteer recruitment and
management, Zhou Jidong, director of the Beijing Municipal
Legislative Affairs Office, said earlier.
Two regulations, relating to wireless communications and the
monitoring of public places, are already in the pipeline.
The regulation on wireless frequency use and management aims to
ensure the security of radio communications by police and Olympic
workers during the Games.
Kong Fanrong, an official in charge of drafting the first
regulation, said the use of radio frequencies in Beijing was "very
disordered" at present.
The second regulation was designed to enhance the police's
ability to properly monitor public places.
According to the city's Olympic security plan, there will be a
vast computer surveillance network with tens of thousands of hidden
cameras in public places where large numbers of people gather, such
as supermarkets, public squares and sporting venues.
Preparation for the Olympic Games, in both legal and
administrative fields, is a major priority.
The municipal people's congress will soon oversee a government
work report concerning the construction of Olympics buildings and
related infrastructure.
During yesterday's meeting, the city's legislators also
scheduled 15 regulations to be adopted this year.
Among them, the food safety law, will be ready for evaluation
this July, Wang Jianhua, vice dean of the Beijing Municipal
Industrial and Commerce Administration, said.
Food safety is a top concern after the recent outbreak of
several food scandals including the poisonous Sudan red dye found
in the yolk of duck eggs.
According to Wang, the city is now promoting a new infrared
technology, which would be able to detect poisonous elements in the
food.
(China Daily March 23, 2007)