The Chinese Government will end the practice of motorcycle escorts for foreign leaders visiting Beijing as of January 1, officials from the Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Public Security announced Monday.

Chinese motorcycle policeman on Tiananmen Square. China has decided to do away with motorcycle escorts for visiting foreign leaders. [AFP/File]

The measure is aimed at simplifying ceremonial practice and catering to the public interest, the officials said.

The current practice requires a motorcycle escort when a head of state arrives in or leaves Beijing on a state or official visit and when they attend welcome ceremonies or present wreaths at the Monument to the People's Heroes.

To accommodate the escorts the three lanes of Beijing's Chang'an Avenue had to be cleared and the intersections of other roads and streets had to be closed.

China has nearly 40 state guests every year, and the arrangement of motorcycle escorts disrupted the lives of ordinary people, an official of the Foreign Ministry said.

He said the motorcycle escort was not a security necessity, but a protocol arrangement already abandoned by most other countries.

Beijing has over 2 million automobiles, and the number is increasing while traffic conditions deteriorate.

The decision was immediately welcomed by the public.

"I applaud the measure wholeheartedly,'' said a message on sina.com, one of China's largest news portals. "We need such practical government and State leaders, and the foreign guests will not complain but respect you more.''

Similar measures were taken in March when the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference held their annual meetings in Beijing.

For the first time the motorcade that carried the delegates to and from the meeting sites was not given green lights all the way. Instead, the vehicles had to wait for red lights at intersections in an effort to reduce rush-hour traffic congestion.

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