The Beijing Olympic Press Center was inaugurated on Monday, more than three years before the opening of the 2008 Olympic Games.

The press center, situated at the Huabei Hotel in the north of the Chinese capital, will serve as a fixed place for the municipal government and the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympics (BOCOG) to hold press briefings.

"The media play an important role in the success of an Olympics," said BOCOG vice president Jiang Xiaoyu.

"Beijing will draw on the experiences of previous games to provide high-quality services to the media."

Kevan Gosper, vice president of the IOC's Coordination Commission for the 2008 Olympics, also attended the inauguration ceremony.