The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing will promote economic growth of the capital city in these years, said Beijing Vice-Mayor Zhang Mao at the World Mayors Forum here Thursday.

Zhang said Beijing's gross regional product will grow with the annual rate of 10 percent in the next three years until 2008. The gross domestic product (GDP) per capita will exceed 5,000 US dollars and disposable income per capita for city residents will reach 22,000 yuan (2,600 US dollars) in the year of 2008.

Beijing will also improve the traffic situation in the city, said Zhang, noting that the length of the city's rail track will be increased from current 114 kilometers to more than 200 kilometers in 2008, and the tramline will also be added.

According to Zhang, with the transformation of some water plants and the implementation of the project to divert water from the South to the North, the water supply for city residents and for the Olympic Games will be guaranteed.

Meanwhile, Beijing will increase greenbelt area in the downtown district to 45 percent, with green area per capita reaching 15 square meters, and about 200 companies in the downtown area will be moved to other districts.

"The air quality and people's living environment will get improved greatly in 2008," Zhang said.

Beijing plans to build and renovate 36 stadiums for the 2008 Games. The construction for all of these stadiums will be completed before 2007, said Zhang.

"Beijing has a lot to offer to the world," Barcelona Mayor Joan Clos told Xinhua, saying that the most important thing for Beijing Olympics is trying "to be a very fresh and unique one of the Chinese culture".

"Seeing how you change your city every year, I'm sure that the Beijing Olympic Games will be successful," said Clos, who was the deputy mayor then when the 1992 Olympic Games was held in Barcelona.

Source: Xinhua