Frank Yu: Land of Opportunity

The photos taken on August 11 show the Beijing National Stadium by Frank YU, or the Bird’s Nest, the main venue for the 2008 Olympic Games.

Located at the Olympic Green, and with a land surface of 258,000 square meters and a seating capacity of 91,000, the stadium will be used for football and athletics competitions, as well the opening and closing ceremonies during the Beijing Olympic Games starting on August 8, 2008.

The project was designed by Herzog & Demeuron (Swiss) and China Architecture Design Institute, and its construction began on December 2003.

BEIJING, August 6 (Xinhua) — Beijing Olympic organizers are confident of ensuring food safety of the Games to be held in the Chinese capital next summer.”We are very confident of ensuring food safety in Beijing,” said Wang Wei, executive vice president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG). “Beijing has hosted many big events and there have been no big problems regarding food safety in these events.”

An elaborate monitoring system will be applied to help oversee the whole process of food production, processing and transportation to make sure healthy food is delivered to the Olympic Village next year.

“All food entering the Olympic Village and other facilities will be given an Olympic food safety logistics code,” Wang said. “High technology including IC card, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and GPS (Global Positioning Satellites) system will be used to monitor the whole process from start of production through transportation to the village,” Wang said.

Wang stressed that extra measures would also be taken to ensure food safety for the general public.

“During the games some special monitoring mechanisms will also be applied to monitor restaurants and public food sellers,” Wang said. “Through these measures, we would like to teach ordinary people how to buy safe food and help restaurants improve their service quality.”

BEIJING, August 5 — A theme song marking the one-year countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympics was released on Saturday in Beijing. Entitled “We Are Ready”, it was co-recorded by more than 130 singers from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan. It mainly expresses the confidence and desire of the Chinese people to hold a successful sport gala.

A video clip featuring memorable occasions in Beijing’s preparation for the Games since winning the right to host it in 2001 was also made available at the launch ceremony.

The singers will perform the song at Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing on August 8, where a grand pageant has been planned to celebrate one year before the games commence.

People can download the music video from the China Mobile web site, www.12530.com or through internet functions on mobile phones.

BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) — The first phase of ticket sales for the 2008 Olympic Games has come to a close with more than 700,000 people booking over 4.9 million tickets, officials said on Sunday.”By 24:00 last night, we have received more than 700,000 orders,” said Rong Jun, director of the Beijing 2008 Ticketing Center.

“More orders are expected to come in the next few days as some are delivered by mail,” he added.

According to Rong, of the 700,000 orders, about 90 per cent were over the Internet, with the rest through Bank of China branches or by mail.

Though bookings far exceeded the supply volume of 2.7 million tickets for the first phase from April 15 to June 30, it doesn’t mean all are sold out, said Rong.

“Orders are relatively centralized,” he explained. “Some hot events such as the opening and closing ceremonies are over-subscribed, while a few other events are a little unpopular.”

Last week, Rong said it was certain that the distribution of the opening and closing ceremonies’ tickets will be decided by lot. Other popular ticket choices were for football, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, badminton, diving and gymnastics.

Tickets will be assigned between July and August before the second leg of domestic sales kick off in October and run through December.

In a country with a population of 1.3 billion, many believe that only the luckiest will have chance of watching the Games, though three-quarters of the seven million very affordable tickets are reserved for domestic sales.

To offer the largest number of people the opportunity, Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee (BOCOG) has limited the number of tickets each individual can buy - one each for the opening and closing ceremonies, and two tickets for events in high demand. For other competitions, each buyer will be limited to three to five tickets based on demand.

According to XINHUA, China held here Tuesday afternoon a state-level anti-terrorist exercise for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

BEIJING, June. 19 (Xinhua) — China held here Tuesday afternoon a state-level anti-terrorist exercise for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The exercise, dubbed Great Wall No. 4, held in Beijing, focused on security work for the Beijing Olympic Games and tested Chinese police’s capacity to handle a hostage-taking incident during the Olympics.

As soon as the combat exercise started, the blue side, acting as terrorists, hijacked more than 20 athletes and confined the hostages in a building.

After the simulated hijacking occurred, the red side, the special police, sealed off the building, scouted the surroundings,and attacked the hijackers.

In the end, the red side successfully rescued the hostages, sources with the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said.

The red side made an emergency response to the hijacking on-the-spot without prior rehearsal, MPS sources said.

The two sides did not know the tactics of the other side and had to make on-the-spot decisions, according to MPS.

Though a command group was set up to control the exercise, it did not interfere in the actions taken by each side, according to the MPS.

The exercise tested the capacity of Chinese police to handle a large-scale hostage taking and helped improve China’s anti-terrorist ability, MPS sources said.

China will do its utmost to guarantee the security of the 2008 Olympics, MPS sources said.

The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) announced how be a torchbearer for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games yesterday, as following:

(Beijing, June 23) — The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) announced here on Saturday the torchbearer selection program for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Beginning today, a total of 21,880 torchbearers will be selected from around the world by various organizations and entities. There are two routes for such a worldwide selection process. The first one is done through recommendations by various organizations and institutions. And the second is an open process, in which public recommendations are accepted. Additionally, 5,000 escort runners will be selected on the Chinese mainland exclusively for this portion of the relay.

The selection program is the core of the Olympic torch relay preparations. During the flame’s journey from Olympia in Greece to the host city, the torchbearers play the role of conveyors of the Olympic ideals. In passing the Olympic flame, they will spread the Olympic Spirit, transmit a message of friendship and peace, and arouse the public’s passion for the Olympics.

According to the selection program, there will be a total of 21,880 torchbearers. Among these, 19,400 will be assigned to the relay on the Chinese mainland, and 2,480 to the relay in overseas cities and Taipei, Hong Kong, and Macao.

Under the theme of “Journey of Harmony” and slogan “Light the Passion, Share the Dream”, the torchbearer selection program aims to involve the public participation in a most broad and extensive way. It will recruit a group of torchbearers who are most deserving and worth of carrying the Olympic Flame within their communities. The torchbearer selection process will contribute to the promotion of the Olympic Spirit and create a warm and joyful atmosphere for the public in the lead up to the Beijing Olympic Games.

The selection criteria for the Olympic torchbearers have been formulated on the basis of the principles set forth by the IOC and past Games practices. For the relay on the mainland of China, torchbearers should meet the following requirements:

1) Be patriotic and dedicated to the Olympic Movement;

2) Practice the Beijing Olympic Games concepts in daily life and have contributed to the building of a harmonious society;

3) Be distinguished for remarkable feats in his/her profession or community, or have a personal story that can inspire or motivate others;

4) Be willing and dedicated to community services;

5) Be distinguished for contributions to the Olympic Movement or for extraordinary performance at past Olympic Games.

For the relay in overseas cities and Taipei, Hong Kong, and Macao, the torchbearers should meet the following requirements:

1) Uphold the Olympic Spirit and be dedicated to the Olympic Movement;

2) Support the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games;

3) Be distinguished for remarkable feats in his/her profession or community or have a personal story that can inspire or motivate others;

4) Be willing and dedicated to community services;

5) Be distinguished for contributions to the Olympic Movement or for extraordinary performance at past Olympic Games.

Based on IOC regulations, Olympic convention, and the agreement reached by BOCOG, IOC, the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC), and Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay Presenting Partners, the selection entities will include: provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities; the COC (including Mount Qomolangma team); Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay Presenting Partners; the Olympic Family (including IOC, NOCs, and IFs); overseas cities and Taipei, Hong Kong and Macau; and BOCOG.

The aforementioned entities will select the torchbearers through the internal nomination and/or the open process. Selection by internal nomination means that the selection entities nominate the candidate torchbearers within their administrative areas or organizational systems and carry out the review and appraisal process. For the open registration process, the selection entities will make the criteria, the total number, selection rules, registration procedure, as well as registration forms available to the public. The selection entities may employ one or both selection methods at their discretion.

The Beijing Olympic Games Escort Runner Program has been launched with the objective of using the Olympic torch relay to promote Olympic education. It will encourage the Chinese youth to understand, support and participate in the Olympics, and present the world a good image of China’s younger generation. The mission of the escort runners is to assist the torchbearers—especially those with a disability—to pass on the holy flame, and to help the torchbearers fulfill their task if the need arises.

The selection of the escort runners will be based on a proportion of two escort runners per eight torchbearers for a total of 5,000 escort runners. They must meet all the same criteria as the torchbearers, and additionally, be 17 years of age or older; be able to run three kilometers in 20 minutes without any difficulty; be able to keep pace with the torchbearers; and be able to escort torchbearers over several legs. They will be selected by the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities and the Beijing 2008 Torch Relay Presenting Partners on the basis of the criteria, rules and guidelines set by BOCOG.

The number of torchbearers and their allocations are as follows:

I. 19,400 for the relay on the Chinese mainland

1) 11,534 for the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities of China, or 59.45% of the total;

2) 1,880 for the Chinese Olympic Committee (including Mount Qomolangma team), or 9.69% of the total;

3) 5,586 for the sponsors (all levels including the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay Presenting Partners), or 28.79% of the total;

4) 200 for the Olympic Family (including IOC, NOCs and IFs), or 1.03% of the total;

5) 200 for BOCOG;

II. 2,480 for the relay in overseas cities and Taipei, Hong Kong and Macao. Among them 1,936 for NOCs/host city governments, or 78.06% of the total; 414 for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay Presenting Partners, or 16.7% of the total; and 130 for BOCOG, or 5.24% of the total.

The number of escort runners and their allocations are as follows:

189 for each of the following provinces: Henan, Shandong, Guangdong and Sichuan; 85 each for Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing and the Tibet Autonomous Region; 137 for each of the other provinces and autonomous regions; 140 for Beijing and 750 for the Presenting Partners.

I just returned to Beijing yesterday from Barcelona, where I met a lot of journalists from the world. When we talked about China, most of them told me that what’s they impressed China was from the media reports, such as Reuters’ reports. Clearly, I felt that there were some biased opinions during our talking.

But most of them have great interests in China, and most of them believe that if they want to learn a real China, they must have a visit to China, and experience China by themselves.According to XINHUA, China’s senior party official expected Reuters to depict China fairly yesterday.

BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) — Senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Li Changchun on Thursday called on Reuters to report China as it is.

    ”Reuters should be a bridge in helping the world obtain a better understanding of China and report China as it is,” Li said in a meeting with a Reuters delegation headed by Reuters chairman Niall Fitz Gerald.

    Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also hailed the good partnership between Xinhua News Agency and Reuters over the past fifty years.

    The meeting came after Xinhua and Reuters on Thursday afternoon held celebrations in the Great Hall of the People to mark their five decades of cooperation.

    Reuters was the first Western news agency to forge cooperation with Xinhua. In May 1957, the two news agencies signed a deal on news story exchange.

    Li said exchanges and cooperation among news organizations of different countries have become increasingly important as the world has entered an era of information and globalization.

    Fitz Gerald hailed China’s rapid development in economic and social sectors.

    He said Reuters would like to carry out a more effective partnership with Xinhua.

                                                                                                                                                                           I just happened upon a new website, named Read Chinese and developed by the University of Maryland’s National Foreign Language Center to help teach high school students in USA to read Chinese and to provide essential classroom support for teachers, with very high-quality teaching materials .

I found that the website offers learners a chance to practice basic reading through a series of carefully framed exercises addressing useful and contemporary topics, such as the 2007 Academy Awards, how to buy supplies, and how to introduce oneself in a social situation.

I noticed that the website is especially geared to high school-age students, but can also be used by adults who have learned an elementary knowledge of Chinese characters. And it is available free for individual use.

You can visit the website from the following address:

http://www.nflc.org/projects/current_projects/used_chinese_los/simplified_list.html

I just came back from the 8th International Congress on Lupus in Shanghai, approximately 1,100 researchers, clinicians, scientists, advocates, and pharmaceutical company executives, and nearly 500 people with lupus from around the world attended the Congress, which featured programs for health professionals and separate tracks for members of the public and leaders of international lupus advocacy organizations.

I believe that I should describe the “World Walks for Lupus” event happened on May 25, because I was moved when I saw that individuals in different colors from many continents in the world participated the walk, bring additional awareness and resources for medical research to find the causes and cure for lupus, and for services to help individuals and families who are greatly affected by lupus and its health consequences.

Nearly 300 individuals participated in the “World Walks for Lupus” event at the Shanghai International Convention Center. Representatives from more than two dozen international lupus patient advocacy organizations, as well as a number of the world’s leading lupus medical researchers and clinicians, were among the walkers who carried signs containing pictures of people from around the world who are living with lupus.

“This symbolic walks is being held to bring greater awareness to lupus, which is under-recognized as a global health problem,” said Sandra C. Raymond, President & CEO of the Lupus Foundation of America, which organized the event with the Chinese Medical Society. “Thousands die from health complication of lupus each year. People with lupus – who face possible strokes, heart attacks, disabling pain, disfiguring skin rashes, and other serious health problems – are calling for more research, safer and more effective treatments, and improved healthcare,” said Raymond.

While epidemiological studies on lupus are limited, it is estimated that at least five million people worldwide suffer from the debilitating health effects of lupus. Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack the body’s own healthy tissue causing great pain, disability and in many cases death.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                I am attending an international congress in Shanghai, which is an extremely important meeting and makes me pretty busy. But I am still impressed by the preparations the city is making for the 2007 Shanghai Special Olympic Games, which will be held this October and held in Asia for the first time. The city is becoming surrounded by the Special Olympics atmosphere.

Among the Special Olympic Games, Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, Shanghai Special Olympic Games will be the first. So the Special Olympic Games are hoped to have a good start.

It is estimated that China has more than 13 million people with intellectual disabilities, and has over 500000 Special Olympics athletes.

More than 10 thousand special athletes and their coaches, and thousands of athletes’ family members, friends, and journalists from the whole world are expected to go to Shanghai for the Special Olympics.