Beijing Olympics budget boosted to two billion dollars

The budget for the 2008 Beijing Olympics has been increased from 1.6 billion dollars to two billion dollars to finance enhanced security measures, a top official has said.

Liu Jingmin, executive vice-president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), was quoted by the China Daily as saying that the revised figure is still short of the 2.4 billion dollars spent on the Athens Olympics in 2004.

With security at the very top of the agenda, a high-level command system involving several authorities, including the Ministry of Public Security and the armed forces, has been established, Liu said.

He said the BOCOG is also in regular contact with international organizations, former Olympic host countries and foreign embassies to China to help ensure a safe Games.

"As the organizer of the 2008 Games, we advocate the Olympic spirit and carry forward the guidelines of peace, friendship and development. We want the Games to be the world's gathering of peace and friendship," he was quoted, as saying.

The BOCOG is also honoring its commitment to the International Olympic Committee by being more accessible to foreign journalists, Liu said. (ANI)