Beijing will introduce a raft of temporary laws to ensure the public's safety during the 2008 Olympic Games.

The proposed regulations would cover areas for transportation management, environmental and health protection and security.

"The municipal government will conduct related research and hold hearings to prepare a full list of regulations to the congress for further discussion," Zhang Yin, deputy director with the legislative affairs department under the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, said during a press conference yesterday.

According to Zhang, those regulations would only be temporary for the Games, and would not conflict with existing laws.

Apart from administrative measures, laws would also be adopted this year to regulate air quality, volunteer recruitment and management, Zhou Jidong, director of the Beijing Municipal Legislative Affairs Office, said earlier.

Two regulations, relating to wireless communications and the monitoring of public places, are already in the pipeline.

The regulation on wireless frequency use and management aims to ensure the security of radio communications by police and Olympic workers during the Games.

Kong Fanrong, an official in charge of drafting the first regulation, said the use of radio frequencies in Beijing was "very disordered" at present.

The second regulation was designed to enhance the police's ability to properly monitor public places.

According to the city's Olympic security plan, there will be a vast computer surveillance network with tens of thousands of hidden cameras in public places where large numbers of people gather, such as supermarkets, public squares and sporting venues.

Preparation for the Olympic Games, in both legal and administrative fields, is a major priority.

The municipal people's congress will soon oversee a government work report concerning the construction of Olympics buildings and related infrastructure.

During yesterday's meeting, the city's legislators also scheduled 15 regulations to be adopted this year.

Among them, the food safety law, will be ready for evaluation this July, Wang Jianhua, vice dean of the Beijing Municipal Industrial and Commerce Administration, said.

Food safety is a top concern after the recent outbreak of several food scandals including the poisonous Sudan red dye found in the yolk of duck eggs.

According to Wang, the city is now promoting a new infrared technology, which would be able to detect poisonous elements in the food.

(China Daily March 23, 2007)