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Beijing expects to deliver

REUTERS, Beijing
While celebrating unprecedented success at the Athens Olympics, China has its sights firmly set on the Beijing Games in four years when they hope to present the country's new face to the world.
The government has thrown its full weight behind the Games as a badge of legitimacy for the ruling Communist Party, a yardstick for judging three decades of reforms and a symbol of China's rising global clout.
"The international community gave us their vote of confidence," deputy Chinese delegation head Duan Shijie said.
"Now it is up to China to repay that by making our contribution to the development of the Olympic movement."
The official slogan for the 2008 Games is "Green Olympics, High-tech Olympics, People's Olympics", but the old Scouting movement motto "Be Prepared" might better characterise China's priorities at this stage.
China plans to spend $37 billion (21 billion pounds) on the Games, at FROM PAGE 13
least $2 billion of which will go towards ultra-modern Olympic facilities, many of which are already under construction.
Venues are so far along, with completion originally planned for 2006, that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has suggested a slow down.
"This is very ambitious and perhaps even a bit too early," the Chinese Olympic Committee website quoted the IOC as saying.
But perhaps the city is lucky it has a head start.
Beijing has pushed back the
deadline for completion of its ambitious "bird's nest" Olympic Stadium to 2007.
Engineers are also considering scrapping the retractable roof to trim an estimated $36 million from its $423 million price tag.
Rumours abound that the 100,000-seat stadium is one of several sites dangerously over budget.
Steel use at the Olympic swimming centre, dubbed the "Water Cube", is being scaled back by around 25 per cent to keep the 120 million dollar facility within budget, China's Financial News said on Friday.
China expects Olympic opera-
tional expenses to reach 2 billion dollars by 2008, while infrastructure development and environmental clean-up could cost over 31 billion dollars.
The final bill for the Athens Games is expected to be more than double the original estimates at close to 10 billion euros.
A large part of Beijing's infrastructure spending is going towards building new roads and underground railway lines, three of which are scheduled to open before 2008 to ease the city's crippling traffic problems.
Even the Forbidden City, perhaps Beijing's most famous landmark, is getting a thorough makeover before the Olympics.
Chinese athletes are under heavy pressure to be in equally good shape.
"An outstanding performance by the national team is definitely a crucial step to the success of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games," a China Daily commentary said on Friday.