An urban transportation forum sponsored by Chinese and Spanish governments opened Monday in Beijing to share Spain's experience in tackling transportation problems as Barcelona did in the 1992 Olympic Games.

The forum was held to promote exchanges and cooperation between China and Spain in transportation policy making, development planning, management and technology, said Su Guang, vice-chairman of the forum and also vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

During the five-day forum, experts from both countries will discuss how to reduce traffic accidents, public transport arrangements during the Olympic period and coordination of different types of vehicles.

Beijing will host the 2008 Olympic Games and is launching campaigns to clear the city, clean the air and improve traffic, along with the busy construction work for Olympic facilities.

It is the second such forum after the first one was held in September 2003. The forum was sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the cooperation agency of Spain's foreign ministry.

(People's Daily May 11, 2004)