Eye on Athens, China stresses a 'frugal' 2008 Olympics

One former Chinese official, speaking on terms of anonymity, stated that, "It goes against the Chinese tradition of modesty for us to brag about our games and to seek a No. 1 games. We need to ensure the quality of materials is high. That's been the problem in our past. It isn't just the cost. But this plan does cost a lot, and we need to be practical."

In keeping with this philosophy, a huge translucent exterior membrane made of polymer - now planned to enclose the water cube - is under review. So are massive video screens, set to be the world's largest, that would cover all four sides of the basketball complex. Now it appears three of the screens will be dropped, and the fourth one reduced in size, at a savings of $100-million plus.

To be sure, the Beijing games are still designed with plenty of dazzle. If anything, Beijing is running so far ahead of schedule that Olympic officials, by now all too familiar with the seven-year chaos of the Athens games process, offer little but effusively glowing statements about Beijing's approach.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge, informed last week about China's planned reevaluation, said he felt confident the changes would "not affect the games."

Beijing secured the 2008 Olympics after a hard-fought competition with Paris and Toronto. For China, snagging the Olympics was not only a matter of prestige but of international respect. No games had ever been held in China, a Security Council member and a rising power in Asia. Some experts felt that had China lost the games of 2008, the blow to national self-image would have been severe. As it was, the victory celebration in Beijing was an epic one - with cars and citizens jamming roads and alleys into the early hours of the morning, something rarely seen.

More important, the victory brought confidence that China would now be able to show the world its efficient central-planning system and its new technocratic class of savvy organizational managers who would put on a world-class games.

For the most part, evidence shows those planners have been working overtime, and many projects are far ahead of schedule. Beijing has spent lavishly on rewiring its power grid, started new food or "grub streets" that will serve Western fare, begun work on 4 of 10 new subway lines, and nearly completed some 200 miles of expressways around town.

Work is also under way to demolish or rebuild some 2,800 hutong-alley public toilets that dot the inner city. It is safe to say the facilities fall short of standards most tourists might expect. The $12 million project envisions 4,700 new restrooms. Police, taxi drivers, and many ordinary people are attending English classes financed by the Olympics committee.

Still, despite continued hopes for private-sector contributions, the financing side of the games remains largely state-run. The principal partners are state-owned enterprises: The Bank of China, Air China, China Mobile, China Netcom. Volkswagen has signed on, however, as has General Electric and McDonald's.

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