Beijing will bid to stage the 2008 Olympic Games, officials said yesterday, launching a new campaign after China's defeat to Sydney in the contest for the 2000 Games.
"Beijing has now decided to bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games," China Olympic Committee (COC) spokesman Wei Hongquan said.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will make a final decision on the 2008 hosts in 2001. The spokesman said China's formal application would be made well before then.
"There's still plenty of time, and we are taking it slowly. The main task at present is the Bangkok Asian Games (in December) and the Sydney Olympics," he added.
The spokesman said other Chinese cities could still submit applications. Shanghai and Guangzhou, which had been discussing a joint bid with Hong Kong and Macau, had been named as contenders. But the announcement probably means most of the huge effort required will now be concentrated on the capital. The campaigns require massive international lobbying over several years.
Hong Kong sports officials said they would press ahead with plans to get a share of the Games, although they admitted Beijing's move had hit the territory's chances.
The mayor of Beijing, Jia Qinglin, submitted the city's application to Wu Shaozu, chairman of China's Olympic Committee (COC), at a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
"We think that as the world's most populous country with a vigorous and growing economy, China should host the Olympic Games and make more contribution to the Olympic movement," Wu was quoted as saying.
Beijing lost by two votes to Sydney when the IOC executive decided on the host of the 2000 Games in 1993.
Despite a massive lobbying campaign, the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre of pro-democracy students, China's human rights record and pollution in Beijing weighed heavily against the bid.
The Chinese authorities whipped up a frenzy of patriotic fervour for that campaign. They spared no efforts to impress IOC chiefs, even depriving many residents of hot water for two weeks before an inspection to minimise coal pollution.
The authorities released leading dissident Wei Jingsheng just days before the IOC cast its vote, only to throw him back in prison six months later.
The Chinese sports authorities were stunned and furious after Beijing lost.
COC secretary general Tu Mingde admitted last year it had been "a very bitter lesson" and other officials have regularly accused rivals of exploiting "political factors" in the choice.
Some international sports officials say China has never forgiven
IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch for the 2000 defeat.
Samaranch has strongly urged China to make a new bid and has twice met President Jiang Zemin in the past year. But he is to resign in 2001 before the decision for the 2008 Games is made.
Beijing's announcement came on the day that Jiang arrived in Japan, which could be the main rival to host the 2008 Games. The Japanese city of Osaka has already declared its bid and started lobbying for international support.
Other contenders are Istanbul and Buenos Aires, Toronto and the Spanish city of Seville. Sports officials have said there were rumours Paris and Mexico City might join the fray.
Pusan in South Korea announced this week that it was ending its bid. And South Korea's President Kim Dae-jung told Samaranch in September his country would back China if Pusan withdrew.
