The 160-page, pocket-sized "Handbook for Foreigners in Beijing" is the result of a joint effort between the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office and foreign experts based in the city. It was officially released on Saturday.

The handbook provides information on entering and exiting the country, residential registration, housing, automobiles, traffic rules, employment, schooling, medical service, travel, marriage, and adopting children.

The government expects the book to offer valuable guidance to international visitors during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The government is also planning to publish versions in other languages, based on the current bilingual edition in Chinese and English.

"An increasing number of non-English-speaking foreigners, such as Koreans, Japanese, French, and many others, has been visiting China," said Yang Liuyin, director of Beijing Foreign Affairs Office. "We will conduct market research before the Games to determine how many different foreign-language editions we need to work on."

The edition released on Saturday was actually the second version of a book first published in 2004. The new edition features a section on the Olympics and covers such topics as the Games' theme, emblems, mascots, and general information on the competition.

An estimated 3.5 million non-Chinese people visited Beijing last year, according to official statistics. There are about 70,000 expatriates living in the city.

Yang described the book as highly accurate and authoritative, adding that it could serve as a reference manual for foreign affairs-related organizations.

"Beijing will welcome many more foreign visitors as the 2008 Olympics draws near, and we hope we can help them develop a better and faster understanding of the city," Yang said. "The book helps promote Beijing's international image and competitiveness."

Djudjur S. H. Hutagalung, minister counsellor for social and cultural affairs at the Indonesian Embassy, described the book as practical, inexpensive and easy to carry. It sells for 25 yuan (US$3) and is available at bookstores throughout the city.

"I think foreigners will find this book really useful, especially since it meets high English-language standards," he said. "Plus, it is always good to read in one's own language."

David Tool from Beijing International Studies University, said: "I really applaud the government's efforts in putting this book together. It has come out at the right time."

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