China Gears up Security Efforts Ahead of Olympics

From anti-terrorism drills to halt of flights during the opening ceremony, Beijing is taking every possible measure to ward off terrorism and ensure security for next month's Olympic Games.

China Civil Aviation Administration announced on Tuesday a new move for Olympic security that no planes would be allowed to take off or land at Beijing Capital International Airport from 7 p.m. to midnight on Aug. 8, the night of the Games' opening ceremony.

The security measure followed the experience of other countries that had hosted the Olympics and was ratified by the Chinese government.

"At present, the security work for the Olympics is in a key phase, and we should mobilize the masses of people to contribute to the security of the Games," said Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, during an inspection tour of a community in Beijing's Dongcheng District.

He further urged major officials of security-related departments and bureaus to monitor the safety work personally to ensure a smooth, orderly and effective operation.

Beijing residents felt the presence of Olympic security measures as the city launched subway security checks on passengers late last month.

Currently, air, rail and long-distance bus facilities here are on heightened alert as the Olympic Games approaches.

Armed police with dogs began round-the-clock patrols on Monday at the capital's four railway stations, including the renovated one in a southern district that hasn't yet opened.

At the Beijing West Railway Station, a major terminal, passengers were asked to taste any liquids they carried or put a sealed one under a special detector handset to identify its contents.

"Security is of the utmost importance in relation to the full success of the Olympics," China's Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu said at a meeting on security work.

He demanded all police bureaus take actions immediately and make full preparations to respond to any possible emergencies.

The end of a series of anti-terrorist drills dubbed "Great Wall5" at the national level in June marked the beginning of the anti-terrorism campaign in China.

At present, an anti-terrorist force of nearly 100,000 commandos, police and army troops was being deployed for handling possible terrorist attacks before and during the Beijing Olympic Games, official statistics showed.

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