Measures such as the closure and removal of small polluting factories, the transformation of residential heating from coal to electricity, and stricter vehicle exhaust standards, have already done much to improve the capital's air quality.

For example, the number of "blue sky" days in the city -- an indicator of air quality -- increased to 246 last year from 100 in 1998.

To realize the "green" Olympics, the capital's afforested land increased by 10,000 hectares and meadowland by 4,653 ha from 2001 to 2007, according to Wang Sumei, a municipal official in charge of landscape engineering.

Du Shaozhong, the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau's deputy director, said to ensure good air quality during the Games, neighboring regions such as Tianjin and Hebei will control dust, vehicle exhaust and industrial pollution prior to and during the sports event.

CLEARING THE ROADS

Beijing has promised that traffic conditions will meet the demands of the Games, with the construction of roads and subways and upgrading of transport facilities.

The terminal building for Olympic charter flights was opened on July 8 at the Beijing Capital International Airport.

The terminal, with 12 gates, is part of Terminal 3, a major expansion for the airport as it prepared for a passenger surge during the Olympics.

With Terminal 3's opening on February 29, the airport can handle up to 76 million passengers annually, more than double the previous capacity. The airport is expected to receive about 5.56 million people during the Games in August.