BEIJING. Feb 1: China today launched its campaign to bring the 2008 Olympic Games to Beijing 500 days before the International Olympic Committee (IOC) meets to declare a winner for the hotly-contested prize, reports AFP.

The Beijing bid logo was chosen from some 2.000 designs and represents a five-point star drawn in Chinese calligraphy brushstrokes, with the five-colored Olympic rings forming the points of the start. Beijing mayor and the bid's executive chairman Liu Qi said.

The star Is also In a shape of a "Chinese knot, symbolizing "unity, cooperation and exchanges." as well as a person doing Taiji" or traditional Chinese shadow boxing, he said.

Time Is of the essence, this Is a big undertaking for us and with the support of the central government and leaders, we will do our best to make efforts to struggle for the right to hold the games," he said at a meeting of the organizing committee.

The slogan Tor the games "new Beijing. Great Olympics'" was chosen from more than 30,000 entries, he said.

"China has the biggest population In the world and by hosting the games the Chinese people will have a chance to contribute to world peace and global unity." he said.

He Zhenliang. member of the IOC executive board and chairman of Beijing's unsuccessful bid to host the 2000 Olympic Games, said Beijing's chances were much better than its previous attempt which failed by a single vote In 1993 largely because of China's human rights record.

This time we have a lot more experience so the chances are mueb better and besides the international situation has also changed." he told AFP.

So far written applications to host the games have been sent to IOC headquarters from Istanbul. Havana. Osaka (Japan). Paris. Beijing. Bangkok. Seville (Spain) and Toronto, the IOC said last week.

In addition to the seven who have already applied, blds are also expected from Buenos Aires. Cairo. Cape Town and Kuala Lumpur in the coming days.

Attending the meeting was Beijing party secretary and Chairman of the bid. Jia Qinglin and Wu Shaozu. president of the All-China Sports Federation.