More than 450,000 people have registered to become Games-time volunteers for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games as of April 8, according to official statistics.

The applicants include 287,000 people from the Beijing area, 156,000 from other provinces and municipalities and 13,000 from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas, said Liu Jian, director of the Volunteer Department of the Beijing organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG).

The volunteer program has proceeded in three phases. On August 2006 it was launched for residents of Beijing; on January 19, the program was open to the provinces and municipalities outside Beijing and on March 28, recruitment was started for residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and overseas Chinese as well as foreigners.

A total of 100,000 Games-time volunteers will be needed for the Beijing Olympic Games and Paralympics. Another 400,000 city volunteers will provide information, translation, first-aid and other services at urban service stations around the competition venues and key areas of Beijing. This program will be launched in June of this year.