Beijing is fully prepared for the three-day Fortune Global Forum scheduled to start on May 16, Wang Hui, director of the Information Office of the Beijing Municipal Government, told the press yesterday.

"The preparations for the opening ceremony are progressing quite smoothly," said Wang. "We had a very successful rehearsal a few days ago, and two more rehearsals will be held in the coming days to perfect details," Wang added.

The opening ceremony is scheduled to be held on the historic park of the Temple of Heaven which was built in 1417 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

"Though the ceremony will surely be `large-scale', it will not spoil the environment, cultural relics and ancient buildings of the Temple of Heaven," said Wang, noting that the municipal government has invited several experts from environment and cultural heritage authorities to help launch the ceremony.

Wang said she is confident that the opening ceremony will be "splendid and sparkling". "The sponsor, US-based Time Warner, also pins very high expectation on the event," added she.

"If the weather changes, we also have a standby venue - the Great Hall of the People," said Wang.

Totally 188 volunteers and more than 30 senior interpreters have been trained to provide various services for the forum, and more than 4,000 police will be on hand to ensure security.

Wang said roughly 600 journalists from home and abroad were registered for the press box.

More than 800 senior business men and women from the across the world will attend the forum, most of which are CEOs, presidents of big corporations, while others are high-profile government officials and renowned economists.

(China Daily May 14, 2005)