China will spend more than $10 billion on the construction of a state of the art sports facilities and stadiums if Beijing is selected next month to host the 2008 Olympic Games.

The centrepiece for the games will be the Olympic Green in the north of the city which will cover a total area of 1,215 hectares and accommodate 14 of the 37 Olympic competition venues.

The showpiece will be the National Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies will be staged. This will also be where the main track and field events will be held.

Fifty acres in the Olympic Green will be occupied by the Chinese Ethnic Culture Museum, while an International Exhibition and Sports Centre will be built on 405 hectares.

Of the 37 venues, 13 are already in existence, 11 are in the planning stages and eight will be specifically dedicated to the Olympic Games.

According to the BOBICO secretary-general, Mr Wang Wei, a special construction plan has been drawn up for the Olympic bid. All of the venues will be divided into four zones, the Central Zone, the Western Community, the University Grounds and the Northern Scenic Sporting Site where the Olympic Green will be held.

Thirty two of the 37 football preliminaries will be staged in Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao.

The Olympic Village will be located in the Olympic Green area, and will accommodate 17,600 athletes and team officials.

And a giant "Forest Park" on 760 hectares will be created within the Olympic Village, in keeping with BOBICO'S pledge that this will be a "green" environmentally-friendly games.

Facilities for the media will be second to none, according to the BOBICO chief. An international broadcasting centre, media village, and press centre will be built in the "Olympic Green" for the thousands of journalists who will descend on the Chinese capital for the World's greatest sporting event.

At present Beijing boasts a total of 5,750 stadiums and gymnasiums. Forty have seating for more than 2,000 spectators, while there are 30 gymnasiums in the city capable of seating more than 1000.

According to Wang Wei, critics should not be too concerned that virtually none of the main Olympic Venues are yet in existence.

"We will be getting into full swing as soon as the decision on the host city is made. Because we will be building late we are going to build the best state of the art sports facilities possible."

"We have seven years to do it and $1.5billion will be spent every year between now and 2008 on the sports venues."

While the BOBICO team has a broad outline of what it wants, it will leave specific stadiums design ideas to successful tenders who will be invited to submit plans if Beijing is successful in its Olympic bid.

"Our facilities will be first class. We will be inviting tenders from all over the world. Already there is huge interest from companies as far away as the US and Australia."

Beijing, points out Wang Wei, has experience in holding big sporting events. It has staged seven National Games, the 11th Asian Games and the sixth Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled.

According to BOBICO, the Olympic Green will be a top-grade centre for cultural, recreational and sports activities after the games while the Olympic Village will be converted for residential use.

Beijing will also be developing its transport network between now and 2008 to allow for ease of access to the city.

There are three airports in the city, while the road network is currently being developed.

The Beijing authorities are also extending its subway lines and say that 40 per cent of people will be transported during the games by this mode of transport.