Beijing can hold a safe Olympic Games while keeping the financial cost of security low, said Liu Shaowu, head of the Security Department of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG).

"We will strictly stick to the principle of being frugal in holding the Olympic Games, and we are confident the safety of the Games will be ensured at a low cost," he said in a recent interview.

The BOCOG announced in 2005 that the cost for security in the 2008 Games will be $300 million, which is only about 20 percent of that spent at the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece in 2004.

Liu, also deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Public Security, said Beijing has many reasons for being confident of reaching such a goal.

The city has devoted a lot of effort in the recent past to improving the technology, information and equipment of its security system.

The system is now at a level that is capable of overseeing the security of the Games. Liu said Beijing only needs to strengthen some aspects, and has sufficient security equipment.

About 20 government agencies are involved in the Games' security plan, including the municipal public security, the fire fighting bureaus, the Ministry of National Security, and the Headquarters of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

The participation of these organizations will help cut costs as it will not be necessary to engage many outside security companies or institutions.

Members of the community will also be encouraged and mobilized to play a role to ensure the smooth staging of the Games, Liu said. Many volunteers will be recruited to help out.

Throughout Beijing, the police, security personnel, and residents will be on high alert for any untoward incidents against public security.

In general, there will be four forces to safeguard the Games the police, armed police, security personnel and volunteers.

Volunteers will mainly come from military colleges, armed police colleges, and public security universities.

(China Daily 03/06/2007 page3)