The Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG) will launch the international tender in mid-2003.

Vetting of domestic candidates has already started.

Sources from the BOCOG reveal that it has employed an institution to investigate more than 40 Chinese leading companies in 19 industries, including automobile, telecommunications, computer, household electrical appliance, beer and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

The enterprises include DaTang, China Digital, Legend, Founder, Kingdee, Haier, Tsingdao, Yanjing and Sanjiu.

Tang Long, vice-secretary-general of the Beijing municipal government, said that, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regulations, each session of the Olympics should be sponsored by 10 to 12 world-class companies from various industries.

And the organizing committee of the host nation has the right to select 10 to 15 other sponsors in a fair and transparent way.

"The sponsors for the 2008 Olympic Games will be divided into four categories based on the size of their sponsorship deal. Sponsors in various categories will enjoy different rights and interests," said Tang.

The 10 to 12 global sponsors, authorized by the IOC, are expected to be determined within several months.

Coca Cola, Swatch and Kodak have already signed contracts with the IOC to act as global sponsors for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Another 10 to 15 sponsors will be decided by the BOCOG by the end of the year via international bidding.

And the BOCOG will start to sign agreements with the selected suppliers and issue sponsorship licences before 2005.

Wang Wei, secretary-general of the BOCOG, pointed out that some of the sponsorship candidates seemed more competitive, such as Li Ning, Red Collar, Legend, Yanjing and Haier, since they sponsored either Beijing's Olympic bid or the China Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games.

(China Daily February 19, 2003)