Beijing has signed an agreement with neighboring Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province to undertake joint operations against terrorist and criminal activities during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Under the agreement, the three sides will build more security inspection stations in areas around Beijing, increase checks on vehicles and people entering the capital and take measures to prevent the inflow of dangerous materials.

In 2006 alone, police from the three regions jointly solved more than 400 criminal cases and arrested more than 300 suspects.

Beijing has stepped up its security efforts as the 2008 Olympic Games approaches.

More than 10,000 police in Beijing will receive first aid training for the Olympics in 2008, according to the municipal public security authorities.

The first batch of around 1,000 policemen began their training at Beijing Police College last month.

The police authorities said that it would start allocating policemen to more than 100 venues for the Olympics in August this year, a whole year before the Games even begin.

Police will carry out mock exercises at more than 20 sporting events in Beijing in the second half of 2007.

About 90,000 policemen are expected to be called up for the 2008 Olympics and the security budget is expected to reach 300 million U.S. dollars, accounting for one fifth of the total costs, according to the organizing committee of the 2008 Olympic Games.