Construction of venues for the 2008 Beijing Olympics is well under way although technical and resource problems remain concerning some showcase projects, organisers say.
'In the past we thought we were ahead of schedule, but that is not the case now,' Shao Shiwei, a spokesman for the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (Bocog), said yesterday.
According to Jin Yan, who is in charge of venue construction, they were still dealing with technical and resource difficulties concerning the building of the National Stadium - commonly known as the 'Bird's Nest' - and the National Aquatic Centre, or 'Water Cube'.
'We need to overcome many problems in terms of technology and resources because the building of those venues involves new architectural designs and the use of new technologies and materials,' he said.
But he denied that the Olympic projects had been hit by steel shortages. The 3.13 billion yuan stadium alone requires thousands of tonnes of steel.
'We must complete the projects on time while ensuring their safety and quality,' he said.