An annual contest to reward excellence among non-Beijing youths working in the capital city will widen its scope and look overseas.

Liu Zhen, an official with the Beijing Commission of the Chinese Communist Youth League, said non-Beijingers, including people from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign countries, play an increasingly important role in pushing forward the economic and social development of Beijing.

The contest is aimed at selecting outstanding youths among the 4 million migrants who have made great contributions to building Beijing into an international metropolis, said Liu.

Unlike previous years, the 2004 contest, which will kick off in early September, encourages overseas people working in Beijing to take part, said Liu.

Non-Beijingers aged between 18 and 40 who have worked in the city for at least two years, whether Chinese or foreigners, can submit their documents of merit to the commission.

A total of 100 excellent youths will be chosen through extensive consultation and the top 30 of them will be awarded with medals for their contributions.

Liu said the contest this year will solicit applicants across a wide spectrum of society rather than choosing from a narrow group recommended by governmental departments and related institutions.

Past contests usually only awarded the top 10 excellent youths each year.

"We will try to find models with pioneering spirit from all walks of life, ranging from ordinary construction workers to senior managers," said Liu.

The 2004 contest is expected to run at least two months to mid-November, and the public will have a say on the selection of candidates, said Liu.

In another development, the Beijing Youth League will set up a soccer fans association, which is the first registered organization of its kind in Beijing, said Liu, who is also head of the preparatory committee of the new group.

It is estimated that at least 20,000 soccer fans will take part in the association before its first representative assembly to be held on September 12, said Liu.

"Besides providing service to the members, the association will help foster an atmosphere of civic virtues when watching games rather than shouting abuses and even fist fights in public," said Wang Wen, a leader of the Beijing soccer fans.

"Warm-hearted and civilized viewers can give the players a good image of Beijing," he added.

Wang said most of the soccer fans also love other games such as basketball, table tennis and volleyball.

"I believe that the association will have many sub-groups based on different games in the future, and will be a large audience group for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games," said Wang.

(China Daily August 31, 2004)