Beijing is confident to stage an Olympic Games in a comfortable environment,
said the Games organizers on Tuesday.
During a video meeting with the International Olympic Committee,
Liu Qi, president of the Organizing Committee of the Beijing
Olympic Games (BOCOG), said the environment kept improving, which
filled the organizers with confidence of holding an Olympic Games
with good air quality.
"Until November 22, Beijing had 226 days of good air quality
(air quality level II or better) this year, nine days more than the
same period last year," said Liu.
"Take August as example, we had 28 days of good air quality,
including two days of level I air quality and 26 days of level II,
" he said, adding that the level of sulfur dioxide and inhalant
particulate matter in the air also dropped to a new low.
"These statistics gave us confidence to ensure a good
environment for next year's Olympic Games," he said.
Beijing has spent 120 billion yuan between 1998 and 2006, more
than three percent of its GDP, on environmental protection.
The Chinese capital urged citizens to take public transportation
instead of private cars by reducing ticket price and building
subway lines as vehicle exhaust emissions became a major source of
the city's pollution.
The city also limited the use of small coal-burning stoves and
natural gas became the clean energy alternative.
The Beijing Olympics will open on August 8 next year.
(Xinhua News Agency December 12, 2007)