The International Olympic Committee (IOC) evaluation commission began their second of four-day inspection of Beijing's bid for 2008 Games on a foggy Thursday by assessing key issues including environmental protection and infrastructure.

The first theme in this morning's presentations by the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Committee (BOBICO) featured how the capital city has been preparing for the Paralympic Games. Sang Lan, former Chinese gymnast wheelchair-bound after breaking her neck at the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York, sat in on the presentations as one of Beijing's official Olympic ambassador.

Environmental responsibility is a major feature in Beijing's 2008 bid. In their report to the IOC inspectors, BOBICO vows that in July, August and September of 2008, the environmental quality of the city will have met the requirements of hosting Olympic Games in all aspects.

The state-of-the-art Olympic Park is the cornerstone of Beijing 's commitment to provide 37 competition and 59 training venues for 28 sports during the 2008 Olympic Games. Many of the venues, including an 80,000-seat stadium, 14 gyms and other sports facilities, an athlete's village and an international exhibition center will be located at the Olympic Park, providing world-class sports, recreation and civic facilities for the people of Beijing long after the 2008 Games.

Beijing also possesses the capacity to accommodate a huge influx of athletes, journalists and tourists during the Olympic periods, BOBICO told the IOC inpsectors. There're 450 star-rated hotels in Beijing and by the year of 2008 the number will have reached 800, at an increasing rate of 7% per year.

In order to bring the world sports biggest event to the world most populous country, Beijing has begun one of the greatest building projects undertaken in China since construction of the Great Wall, BOBICO said. Beijing will invest some US$20 billion to triple the length of its expressway network, expand and upgrade its public transport system by 2008.

(People's Daily 02/22/01)