News From Beijing 2008

The city office in charge of preparations for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games met to discuss several contingency measures Thursday, reports the Beijing Morning Post.

Some of the measures discussed includes shutting down heavily polluting factories, giving most Beijing residents a 16-day holiday to alleviate traffic, and allowing foreigners to worship in groups, now officially outlawed but rarely enforced.

But Beijing 2008 spokesman Zhou Jiawang of the Environmental and Construction Headquarters Office stressed that no decisions have been made. He said, “everything is still under discussion”.

One of the most controversial measures reportedly discussed was that the city is considering hospitalizing all mentally ill people “to avoid creating any harm to society” and expelling many of the city’s one million migrant workers.

Zhou denied that such a wide-scale expulsion order was on the table. The Associated Press reports that Zhou said ordering out the migrants was proposed by one of the advisers at the meeting but that the newspaper report was incorrect.

Legislators said that the 16-day break Beijing residents would have during the Games provides a perfect chance for them to enjoy the Games and eases the commuter traffic jam accentuated by traffic restrictions.

A report on Qianlong.com says that enterprises may make their own holiday schedules.

Some of the contingencies deal with legalities. According to the Associated Press while the city has the authority to shut down heavily polluting factories on days of high pollution, it does not have the power to do so because of the Games.

To deal with traffic congestion the city may limit cars being driven every other day, and cars with licence plates ending in odd numbers allowed on some days while those with even numbers on the other days.

Reports say that athletes, journalists, volunteers and Olympic event ticket holders would be able to ride city buses for free to encourage them not to drive.

Meanwhile Beijing 2008 has selected its first Taiwanese-funded sponsor. President Enterprises (China) Investment Co. Ltd. was chosen as the Noodles Sponsor for the 2008 Games.

The company will provide funds and noodle products for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, BOCOG, the Chinese Olympic Committee and Chinese Olympic Teams competing in the Beijing Games. In return President Enterprises has the right to use the Beijing 2008 Games symbol for promotional purposes and to participate in BOCOG activities. Write or read comments about this article

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