Hoping to avoid a repeat of the debacle that sullied the 2004 Athens Games, where 28 athletes turned in positive doping results, China has strictly adopted the IOC's latest anti-doping rules.

No fewer than 4,500 spot-check tests will be executed during the competitions, an increase of over 900 from four years ago.

The same athlete can also be tested twice in the same day, a move that was not allowed at previous Summer Games.

Other strengthened measures are designed to close down loopholes. Any athlete who misses two tests can be considered guilty of violating the drug laws and punished accordingly, while even the possession of a banned substance or doping product is now considered on par with use and consumption.

"We want to show the world our determination to struggle against doping in sport," claimed Duan Shijie, executive vice-president of BOCOG.

Since Beijing won the bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games on July 13, 2001, China has multiplied its efforts to fight this modern cancer, such as by ratifying the UNESCO convention against doping.

It has also assembled a team of specialists and classified Chinese traditional medicine products to eliminate potential doping infringements.

Food at the Olympic Village was also subjected to harsh tests: pigs, for example, are being fed organic food and raised in distant areas free of serious pollution.

Biology experts claim the fight against doping is far from over because new scientific developments create increasingly intricate ways to skirt the law in this lucrative black market.

Despite the risk of being found out and disgraced, some athletes keep on using drugs to increase their performance, meaning that the war against doping begins before competition time by preventing athletes using contraband products during training.

Yet Beijing remains optimistic it can pull off a relatively clean Games and avoid the oft-heard refrain, "All doped, few controlled".