The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) is seeking to recruit Chinese-speaking volunteers from across the globe, an official announced in Beijing on Wednesday.

 

BOCOG will press ahead with its international recruitment drive later this month, with Chinese embassies worldwide fielding and sorting the applications, said BOCOG Executive Vice President Li Binghua.

 

Between 80,000 and 100,000 volunteers will be recruited ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony on August 8th 2008.

 

Li revealed that since domestic recruitment began last August, over 350,000 applications have so far been received as well as those coming in from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and internationally.

 

"We welcome overseas volunteers who wish to join us, but they should at least be able to communicate in Chinese," said Li, who is also a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People' s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top advisory body.

 

Li's remarks came on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the 10th CPPCC National Committee.

 

Furthermore, Li underscored the need for 5,000 further "professional volunteers" who will provide exclusive interpretation services for VIPs during the Games.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 7, 2007)