The first council conference of UCLG and the World Mayors Forum officially opened on May 9 in Beijing since the founding of the World Organization of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). Beijing's gross regional product will grow with the annual rate of 10 per cent on average in the next threes until 2008, said Beijing Vice-Mayor Zhang Mao at the forum's opening ceremony. The gross domestic product (GDP) per capital will surpass 5,000 US dollars and disposable income per capital for city residents will reach 22,000 yuan in the year of 2008. The length of the city's rail track will be increased to more than 200 kilometers in 2008 from current 114 kilometers. At the same time, 60-kilometer tram and bus lines will also be added so that Beijing's traffic situation in the city will be improved to a greater extent.

According to Zhang Mao, with the implementation of the project to divert water from the south to the north the water supply problem for city residents and for the Olympic games will be solved fundamentally. By 2008, Beijing will increase greenbelt area in the downtown district to 45 per cent from current 41.5 per cent, with green area per capita reaching 15 square meters. And some 200 enterprises in the urban area will be relocated so that the air quality and living environment for the residents will be greatly improved.

By People's Daily Online