Rubbish, sewage and public toilets are now the biggest headaches for the Beijing municipal government as it prepares for the 2008 Olympic Games, says Mayor Wang Qishan.

"I am now confronted with various difficult, complicated problems in urban administration. Wherever I look, there seem to be problems.

"For instance, when I walk on the streets and look around, I'm confronted by white plastic bags hanging on trees."

Wang was meeting members of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on Tuesday.

He said the municipal government is trying to improve its urban administration in a host of different areas such as rubbish disposal, sewage treatment, outdoor advertising, heating, toilet-building and traffic management.

"But the more we do, the more problems we face," said Wang.

"When I have family parties or meet my friends, almost everybody, except my wife, complains about the problems or makes suggestions to me about administration. At the regular mayor working conference, the hot topics are always rubbish, sewage, public toilets and traffic."

He said the areas had to be up to scratch within three years.

"In 2008, more than 30,000 foreign journalists are expected to pour into Beijing. They will not only report on the Olympic Games, but also record every tiny feature of Beijing.

"Most people in other countries will learn about the ancient city through the reporters' stories, pictures and videos. If they find smelly backstreet toilets, stinking rivers and litter everywhere, what will they make of Beijing and further, China?"

Wang told the Beijing Municipal People's Congress he had listed targets for the city's urban administration to hit this year.

"These figures are inflexible. We should start from every tiny issue and move ahead step by step," he said.

His work report says the city will re-build or build anew 700 standard public toilets, clear up 309 illegal outdoor advertising sites, speed up the building of five waste water treatment factories, and clean up 40 kilometers of river this year.

Ninety-four percent of the rubbish collected from Beijing's eight urban districts will be disposed of or recycled, and 40 percent of that from rural areas. Seventy percent of the sewage will be treated in urban districts and 40 percent in the countryside.

The city will also replace 2,000 coal-burning boilers with natural gas-fuelled ones, and replace 3,800 buses and 20,000 taxis. 

(China Daily January 27, 2005)