The trend of cybernation is sweeping across Beijing, said Beijing Mayor Liu Qi, adding that the launching of the project aims to turn the Chinese capital into an international metropolis.

The mayor proposed the concept of "cybernation" earlier this year. The project started at Zhongguancun, an area in northwestern part of Beijing known as China's "Silicon Valley".

Beijing municipal government decided to invest 30 million yuan (US$3.6 million) this year on this project.

Lin Wenyi, vice mayor of Beijing, said that the project mainly involves the construction of the information infrastructure and a wider application of the information industry.

She said that broadcasting and television sectors will support a common information platform. And hi-tech will be applied to achieve the e-administration, e-business, scientific information

network, and on-line education.

More than 100 governmental departments in Beijing have opened websites to attain the goal of e-administration.

Beijing will also open a website of social community services this year. The social security information system will be put into pilot operation among two million people. The public

transportation sector will carry out on-line management.

Urban planning expert Wang Xu said that the "cybernation" is especially suitable for populous cities with complicated architectures such as Beijing, where almost every citizen can

benefit from accessing information quickly.

Statistics show that Beijing tops other cities in China on the number of Internet users and websites.

(Xinhua)