Scene of the teleconference from BOCOG headquarters

    (BEIJING, June 5) – A two-tier command system will be in force with BOCOG President Liu Qi as chief of operations during the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics, it was announced here on Thursday.

    Consisting of leading officials of BOCOG and related departments of China's central government, the command headquarters will deal with major issues of Olympic and Paralympic operations and will communicate with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Liu told IOC President Jacques Rogge in a teleconference on Thursday. Rogge was in Athens to attend the IOC's Executive Board meeting.

IOC President Jacques Rogge chairs the conference.

    Liu said the second tier of the command system, led by Beijing Mayor Guo Jinlong and composed of leading officials from BOCOG and the Beijing Municipality, will be in charge of daily operations and logistics for the Games. The group has 11 work units to handle matters related to general deployment, competition management, communications and cultural activities, security, international relations, airport coordination, service coordination, human resources and volunteer work, transport and environment, technology and network guarantee, as well as project management.

    In his presentation, Liu updated the IOC on the current status of the Olympic preparations. He said that in general, Beijing is ready for the Games. He also touched on such topics as foreigners' visas, Olympic brand protection, ticketing, Olympic TV broadcast, services for delegations from the national and regional Olympic committees, the Torch Relay, and media and communications and answered questions from members of the IOC Executive Board.

    Hein Verbruggen, chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, said the IOC and its Executive Board were satisfied with Beijing's Olympic preparations; the IOC was pleased to work with BOCOG and expected a splendid Olympics in August.

    Rogge, who chaired the conference, said he had a deep admiration for the unity and courage that the Chinese people have demonstrated in their relief efforts after the May 12 earthquake that hit southwestern China. He said Beijing had prepared well for the Olympic Games and that the IOC was confident about the success of the event; he expressed hopes that the Games would bring joy to the Chinese people.

Liu greets Rogge via TV screen.

    Earlier in the conference, Liu, who is a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, thanked the IOC for its donations to earthquake-hit areas in Sichuan Province. He also stressed the importance that the Chinese leadership had attached to the Olympic Games, and China's determination to overcome the earthquake aftermath and ensure the success of the Olympic preparations.

    Present at the conference were Deng Pufang, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) , president of the China Disabled Persons' Federation, and executive-president of BOCOG; Liu Peng, minister of the General Administration of Sport, president of the Chinese Olympic Committee and executive president of BOCOG; Guo Jinlong, deputy secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, mayor of Beijing and executive president of BOCOG; other officials from Beijing and BOCOG, and members of the IOC Executive Board.