The Chinese government has thrown its full weight behind the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Deputy Chinese delegation head Duan Shijie said, “the international community gave us their vote of confidence. Now it is up to China to repay that by making our contribution to the development of the Olympic movement”.
Beijing 2008’s official slogan is “Green Olympic, High-tech Olympics, People’s Olympics”.
China plans to spend $37 billion on the Games. At least $2 billion 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 Beijing should slow down.
Beijing has pushed back the deadline for completing it’s ambitious “bird’s nest” Olympic Stadium to 2007.
After extensive research, the retractable roof in the original design will be replaced with a bigger open roof. The structural design has also been optimized to reduce the total use of steel. After the adjustments the budget will be trimmed an estimated $36 million from its $423 million price tag.
Also, the design for the Wukesong Stadium has been changed. The area for commercial use has been removed, cutting the total area by half to 65,000 square metres. The screen wall outside the stadium will also adjusted, but the final design has not yet been approved.
Steel use at the Olympic swimming centre, called the “Water Cube” is being scaled back by around 25 per cent to keep the $120 million facility within budget, said China’s Financial News.
Because of the adjustments, construction work on some stadiums will be postponed by one year to 2005 and will be completed in late 2007.
China expects Olympic operational expenses to reach $2 billion by 2008, while infrastructure development and environmental clean up could cost more than $31 billion.
A large part of Beijing’s infrastructure spending is going toward 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 is getting a thorough makeover before the Olympics.
