The International Olympic Committee Coordination Commission for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games opened its third meeting in the Chinese capital on Wednesday.

During the three-day meeting, the commission will assess the progress made by the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee (BOCOG), and provide advice for future steps.

"The Coordination Commission has come here to Beijing to see the state of preparations and to work with BOCOG towards the delivery of successful Games," said IOC Director of Communications Giselle Davies at a press conference held prior to the commission's first meeting. "Plenary meetings will see us all together to discuss general issues, while working groups will discuss more specific issues."

Eight main topics are to be covered during the meeting: sports, marketing and ticketing, finance and logistics, the Olympic Village and services to National Olympic Committees, media operations and broadcasting, construction, communications and Games services.

Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli addressed the issue of venue construction at the press conference.

Beijing organizers halted construction on several Olympic venues in August amid a nationwide drive to reduce "white elephant" projects, part of the government's effort to douse the flames of an overheating economy. Cost-cutting changes to the blueprints for the 80,000-seat main Olympic stadium include canceling the retractable roof.

Felli said that the IOC is not concerned about the money that organizers wish to spend on a venue, but that it is concerned about the quality.

Although IOC organizers advised BOCOG last summer that there is no need to rush venue construction, Felli said that it is important that they be ready early enough to hold test events before the Games.

He pointed out that the operational aspects of organizing a major competition like the Olympic Games are very complicated.

The commission meeting will be followed this weekend by a high-profile visit from IOC President Jacques Rogge, who is scheduled to meet with Chinese leaders as well as to inspect progress on the 2008 Games.

The IOC Coordination Commission comprises representatives of national Olympic committees, international sports federations, athletes and the International Paralympic Committee.

(China.org.cn October 28, 2004)