Foreign companies are to be given fair opportunities in bids for infrastructure projects aimed at giving Beijing a facelift ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games.
Beijing mayor Liu Qi made the pledge upon unveiling a record 180 billion yuan (about HK$168.66 billion) municipal-spending plan for basic infrastructure projects in the next five years, the China Daily reported yesterday.
Municipal officials hope preparatory work for the Olympics lures more foreign investment and helps strengthen Beijing's world economic links.
The city's investment plan is just part of China's Games budget. Another 13 billion yuan to 16 billion yuan is expected to be spent on new sports facilities.
Bankers forecast public and private sector spending related to the Olympics to add as much as 0.3 per cent annual growth to China's gross domestic product over the next seven years.
Mr Liu's comments should be music to the ears of a long line of foreign companies queuing for a share of the economic perks of a successful Beijing Games bid.
