Does Beijing meet the environmental requirements of an Olympic Games host city?
Yes, the Beijing municipal government has achieved remarkable success in improving the country’s environment in accordance with international standards in recent years. In 1999, 597 million yuan (72 million US dollars) was invested in a number of ecological friendly urban projects that will make the city’s environment much cleaner. The supply of natural gas has reached 700 million cubic meters annually. Forty percent of the city’s drainage water and 55.8 percent of its garbage are now treated and recycled. Trees and grassland cover 42 percent of the whole territory of Beijing. This year, the municipal government will make greater efforts to strengthen environmental management in Beijing. First, it will pay more attention to improving air quality, adopting new standards on vehicle emission to lower pollution by cars. Secondly, it will build green belts between downtown and suburban areas. Over 2,300 hectares of green belts have been built ahead of schedule this year. Thirdly, it will ac
