A picturesque coastal city in Shandong Province, Qingdao will host the yacht racing event of the 2008 Olympic Games.

With about 500 days to go before the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, authorities at Qingdao, venue for the Games' yacht race, expressed their efforts to hold the most successful yacht race in the Olympic history and expect the Games will bring good opportunities for Qingdao's development.

Xia Geng, mayor of Qingdao, a coastal city in East China's Shandong Province, said: "The Olympic Games will bring tremendous changes in the city's urban facility construction, as well as economic and social development."

As an important economic engine and famous tourist destination in Shandong, Qingdao is well prepared for the Games, he said.

"A lot of facilities have been completed. A testing competition was held last year, attracting 456 athletes from 40 countries and regions. This is the largest international yacht race ever held in China and the first testing competition for the 2008 Games, winning praise from athletes, referees as well as officials from the organizing committee of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games," Xia said.

When Beijing won the bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games in July 2001, Qingdao became Beijing's partner to hold the Games' yacht race.

Multiplier effect

What the Games bring to Qingdao is a kind of multiplier effect, said Xia, meaning that it will have extremely positive effects on the city's infrastructure and social and economic development.

Investment in the city's urban infrastructure, transportation and information facilities is expected to reach 30 billion yuan before the Games, he said.

As a result, the city's highway density will increase to 1.76 kilometers per square kilometer from the present 1.32 kilometers per square kilometer, and the number of air routes will grow from 86 to more than 110.

Xia said the city's ecological environment will also be further improved. Per capita greenery will increase from today's 11.8 square meters to 14 square meters and the number of days with good air quality will reach 300 per year.

He said the Games will substantially improve the city's economic strength.

With the rapid growth of infrastructure-related industries, tourism, communications, real estate and service, the city's gross domestic product (GDP) in the next two years is expected to grow by more than 15 percent.

Since 2001, the city's annual GDP growth has actually been maintained at an increasing pace, at the rate of 13.7 percent, 14.6 percent, 15.9 per cent, 16.8 percent and 16.9 percent. At present, Qingdao is one of the top 10 Chinese cities in terms of comprehensive economic strength, alongside cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

Xia predicts that per capita income of urban residents in Qingdao will increase to 20,900 yuan from the present 12,920 yuan, while the figure for rural residents will grow from 5,806 yuan to 9,350 yuan by 2010.

Meanwhile, the per capita housing floor space will rise to 32 square meters from 25 square meters. These show that an all-around well-off society will be realized in Qingdao.

Also, the games will help the city achieve great progress in the sectors of education, culture, sports, science and technology.

More importantly, due to the sense of pride instilled in them by hosting an Olympic event, the ethical level of people in Qingdao will be greatly uplifted, Xia noted.

Wider recognition

The mayor said the Olympic Games will help the city win more recognition at home and abroad.

The growing popularity of Qingdao is evidenced by the increasing number of tourists.

Xia said Qingdao's tourism industry grew at an average annual rate of 25 percent in the past five years.

Last year, Qingdao received more than 30 million tourists, with overseas travelers accounting for 800,000, an increase of 31 per cent from the previous year.

The number of foreign tourists to Qingdao is expected to reach 1.3 million in 2010.

To enhance Qingdao's international image, the city has organized a number of international sports events in the city and a series of Olympics-related promotional activities in Asia, Europe, North America and Australia.

Through such activities, Qingdao has established friendly ties with dozens of countries and regions in the world.

"Our ambition is to build the city into a 'capital of yacht racing,' with both domestic and international influence," said the mayor.

Xia said hosting the Olympic Games' yacht race is also a new challenge to Qingdao.

"Pollution and lack of experience in organizing such a big international sports event are also problems the city has to tackle," said the mayor.

However, Xia said he has full confidence Qingdao will host a successful event.

He said the city is going all out to speed up the construction of sports venues and the Qingdao Olympic Yacht Race Center will be completed this year.

Also, construction of transportation, environmental and tourism facilities will be strengthened, in order to create an excellent environment for the upcoming event.

(China Daily 03/10/2007 page6)