Comaneci expects China success in Olympic gymnastics

Gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci believes that Chinese gymnasts will do a great job in this year's Beijing Olympic Games.

Comaneci, looking to the Olympics in August, sang high praise for the Chinese national team on Sunday, eve of the ninth Laureus World Sports Awards.

"The Chinese team is very very good," she told Xinhua. "In men's competition, I don't think any other team could be better than them."

"Women's competition will be very close. Of course the best will win. But it's a great advantage to have Olympics in your country. You'll have a lot of support, which is great.

"It would be difficult for everybody else to get a hand on the medals," she added.

But the 1976 Olympic heroine believes that other sides still have chance to compete with the hosts.

"I know the Chinese team wants to take everything. It's a huge opportunity to have the Games in your country," she said.

"We'll just have to see. It's one thing to be good in the paper, and it's another to perform the best in that particular day."

She anticipated strong performance from Chinese multi-world champion Yang Wei and Shawn Johnson of the United States in particular, when asked if there could be any super star in Beijing.

"He (Yang) is fantastic. In men's competition, he has no equal. In women's we'll see. But I think Shawn Johnson would be able to (be a super star).

"She's good. But as I said, it's in China. So it's going to be hard for her," said Comaneci, who was born in Romania but a U.S. citizen now.

Johnson, 16, won three gold medals in team, all-around and floor categories in the 2007 world championships in Stuttgart.

Comaneci, the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of ten in an Olympics, said that the sport today was very different from what it used to be.

"Equipment is safer and better; gymnasts do a lot more difficult skills; and of course, the points are different, the 10.00 exist only in execution.

"Now it's open scoring, a little confusing for the fans. But I'm sure gymnastics will attract much attention in Beijing."

At the age of 14, Comaneci became one of the stars of the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.

During the team portion of the competition, her routine on the uneven bars was scored at a 10.0. Over the course of that Games, she earned six additional 10s, en route to capturing the all-around, beam and bars titles and a bronze medal on the floor exercise.

China Craves Olympic Prestige

On Aug. 8, when the Beijing Olympics begin in promised splendor, a few may reflect on how far or how fast China has come to host this high mark of international prestige.

A little more than a year after the games finish, Oct. 1, 2009, China will mark its 60th anniversary as a communist nation. It is a survivor when many Marxist regimes have met their demise beginning with the first, the Soviet Union.

To my old eyes, it seems almost a miracle that China has survived the pain and bloodshed to emerge from poverty and become one of the richest of Earth's nations in so short a time.

Torn by internal strife for years, long shunned internationally, China now seeks to acquire something intangible but precious, to match its new prosperity. It seeks prestige, or "weiwang" in Chinese. Prestige is a quality China once had in abundance as the ancient Middle Kingdom, an empire to which other nations regularly paid tribute.

To understand why Olympic prestige is so important to China, it is important to remember how low as a nation China had fallen — and how little real prestige it enjoyed — as a result of power struggles during the first few decades of its communist existence after the Nationalists were vanquished in 1949.

It is useful, too, to remember the three powerful, larger than life figures who dominated the Chinese landscape early on.

They were Mao Zedong, its founder, a peasant's son and dreamer; his ambitious, once bone-poor third wife, Jiang Qing, and Deng Xiaoping, the no nonsense realist. During the early years of Mao's dictatorship, quarrels within the Communist party over China's direction brought it to the edge of collapse, a blood-spattered period remembered today for its cruelty and chaos.

The violence only ended with Mao's death and his wife's imprisonment in 1976.

Twice purged by Mao, Deng emerged from house arrest a few years later to halt China's headlong tumble into anarchy and begin the remarkable economic recovery and regaining of national prestige reflected in these Olympic games.

As an AP reporter, I knew all three of the lead players: Mao and his wife in 1940s Yanan, the Red base before the victory of 1949, and Deng in 1979 Beijing.

Mao was a dreamer with his feet firmly planted in the past. He believed China was powerful enough to achieve greatness by itself without relying on the outside world.

When Mao's grandiose national economic campaign resulted in failure and famine, the pragmatists led by Liu Shaoqi and Deng removed him from office and took over. Mao meekly accepted his punishment. But Jiang Qing, furious at losing her place as First Lady of China, fought back.

Cannily, she used Mao and his great national popularity and organized the Marxist sounding 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution. With the help of defense minister Lin Biao, she turned Mao into a demigod, a genius born once in every 10,000 years. Then she denounced Liu and Deng as villains for trying to diminish Mao's greatness. The nation's students, organized into Maoist Red Guards, attacked anyone daring to belittle the Great Helmsman's name. The "no school" bell rang throughout China and the students gleefully went on a hot-eyed rampage.

I wrote about the Cultural Revolution mostly from Hong Kong and Tokyo — Americans were barred from China — but got a glimpse of China under Mao when I was allowed to accompany the U.S. ping pong team to Beijing in 1971. I made more visits later, after the ban against American reporters was lifted.

Beijing under Mao was drab, emotionless and bureaucratic. The Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, once a delight to visit, were stiff with plaster statues of Mao. Huge portraits of Mao adorned the walls of the Forbidden City and China's Great Wall.

The little red book of Mao quotations, compiled by Lin Biao, and tin Mao portrait badges were everywhere. I acquired one.

By the end of 1971, only months after the American ping pong visit, Lin Biao's agenda had become clear: he plotted to murder Mao and take his place at the head of party and nation. Discovered, he fled, and died when his Moscow-bound plane crashed en route.

Madame Mao, high priestess of her husband's cult, banned the famous Peking Opera, put in its place a half dozen dramas of her own composition which glorified Maoism. I suffered through several of them, bemused by the heroes, bigger than life, and amused by the villains — usually running dogs of American imperialism.

I had the good luck to reopen the AP Beijing bureau in 1979 and thus become a daily spectator during the early days of Deng's determined campaign to recover China's lost prestige. Unlike Mao, who dictated the smallest details of Chinese life from Beijing, Deng believed in openness and few controls. He gave the cities and the provinces license to make their own rules, draw up their own contracts.

I developed a bantering friendship with Deng, one of the few Marxists I knew with a sense of humor. Remarkably modest for a man with so much power, he described himself modestly as the first among equals and insisted he had no desire for titles like party chairman or president.

He intended, he told me, to gradually introduce controlled democracy along with his limited capitalism. Later, the student protests that brought chaos and bloodshed to Tienanmen Square in Beijing in 1989 soured his view of democracy. He ordered the troops to fire on the unarmed demonstrators. He died at the age of 93 without apologizing.

Some observers say the games now give the Communist party an ideal public opportunity to achieve for China, after all its suffering and sacrifices, the prestige it so apparently desires.

Angola launches "To Beijing 2008 Olympic Games" hiking activity

The Angolan Olympic Committee and the Angolan Paralympic Committee here on Sunday launched the "To Beijing 2008 Olympic Games" hiking activity to support China hosting the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

At 8:45 a.m. local time (0745 GMT), Angolan National Assembly Speaker Roberto de Almeida, holding the torch, led Angolan senior officials and some 5,000 local people to start the "To Beijing 2008 Olympic Games" hiking activity at the National Stadium in the capital Luanda.

Before the start of the 5,000-meter-long hiking activity, the Angolan speaker told Chinese ambassador to Angola Zhang Beisan that Angola supports China to hold the 2008 Olympic Games. "I wish China a successful holding of the 2008 Olympic Games," he said.

To enrich Angolan people's knowledge about China's holding of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the Chinese embassy set up an exhibition stall at the Angolan National Stadium in the capital Luanda to distribute materials publicizing the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and spread knowledge about preparations made by the Chinese government.

The exhibition stall also attracted Speaker de Almeida and ambassador Zhang Beisan presents a set of "Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Mascots" to the speaker.

Cash crisis for Olympic stars

New Zealand’s Olympics boss has revealed that unless his organisation gets a cash injection athletes like world champion shot putter Valerie Vili may have to help pay their own way to future games.

Eion Edgar – the president of the New Zealand Olympic Committee – told Sunday News last night the organisation is facing a $2.5 million deficit in the four-year lead up the 2012 Games in London.

“It’s possible that unless we increase our funding, athletes who want to compete may have to pay part of their own way,’’ Edgar said.

The NZOC is struggling to keep up with the improving standard of New Zealand athletes.

The size of the team that will travel to the Beijing Olympics in August is expected to be the biggest ever sent from New Zealand despite the NZOC raising their qualification standards.

"We are getting more teams qualifying and then you get situations like rowing we will have one of our biggest rowing teams ever in Beijing.

"It demonstrates how well New Zealand does on that wide world stage.

"I'm excited about it but equally that's why we have to plan to make sure we are in a well placed financial situation in 2012.

"What we were looking to do is raise our profile and increase the understanding of what our long term goals are.

"At the moment we are in good shape but looking out, if you take the long term view and plan for the next five or six years as any responsible board should, we need to increase our funding. There's no hiding from that."

Edgar said the NZOC will always look to fund athletes for Commonwealth and Winter and Summer Olympic Games.

But, he said, "With the number of Games, for some of them we may have to say `You have to pay part of it."'

The teams almost certain to feel the trickle down of any financial troubles at the NZOC will be teams selected to compete at youth games.

Those include the 2009 Australian Youth Olympic Festival, the 2010 Youth Olympic Games and the 2012 Winter Olympic Youth games the breeding ground for New Zealand's Olympic and Commonweatlth Games teams.

Said Edgar: "That would be disappointing because they are our future but we have to be practical because there are only so many things we can do financially.

"A quarter of their costs may have to be paid by the athlete or their sport."

2008 Olympic Games Part Of Chinese New Year Celebrations

The Lunar New Year Festival, which began Wednesday, has a twist this year. Xinhua reports that setting off firecrackers, visiting relatives and friends with presents, or watching the annual television show on New Years Eve, are part of the traditional New Year celebrations, but this year, according to Xinhua, a popular New Year’s Eve show on CCTV, which has become one of most important rituals for many Chinese and has an audience rating of more than 90 per cent, included a tale about an elderly couple competing to be Olympic torchbearers. They were portrayed as a bit cranky, but were also as hospitable and warm-hearted as other Olympic volunteers.

Setting off firecrackers is another New Year tradition but this year many companies producing firecrackers featured products with Olympic-related themes, including one company that offered a package that held five kinds of crackers symbolizing both the five Olympic rings and the five ring roads that encircle Beijing.

Another tradition is posting Spring Festival scrolls on both sides of doors and this year the contents of many scrolls were Olympic-themed.

People give presents to each other and Xinhua reports the Olympic mascot Fuwa was popular in Beijing. One approved Beijing outlet for mascot sales said they sold about 10,000 yuan worth of Fuwa per day since the middle of January but before they had only about 2,000 yuan in daily sales.

Of the 20 temple fairs being held in Beijing, half will have Olympic themes. And for the seven-day Spring Festival holiday Olympic volunteers in Beijing set up about 100 kiosks at top restaurants, hotels and tourist sites for visitors from all over the country and overseas.

China Prepares to Host Paralymics

China is preparing to hold its first Olympic Games this year, and along with it, the Paralympics Games for disabled athletes. Chinese officials acknowledge that they are far behind in providing equal access for the country's disabled citizens, and they hope the games will help improve the situation. Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing.

Beijing wants to host a festive Olympics this year and officials say the Paralympics should be equal in splendor.

Beijing has built new facilities for the games and for training China's disabled athletes.

Chinese officials say there are 83 million people with disabilities in China and two million of them play sports.

Cao Qiuping hopes to play basketball for the Chinese team. She says the Paralympic Games will help reduce prejudice in China against the disabled. "A lot of people take [disabled people] to be obedient and docile. In fact, it's not like this. Their understanding is wrong. We want to use this opportunity to show them the real appearance of handicapped people."

An estimated 4,000 athletes from 150 countries are expected in Beijing for the Paralympics.

Officials say they will provide them with the same quality services as Olympic athletes and should have no problem meeting their needs.

Beijing plans to provide accessible buses and subway cars for getting disabled athletes and spectators to the Paralympic events.

But most public transport still lacks access facilities, cutting disabled athletes off from most of the city when they visit for the games. Officials say they will make the city more accessible, but they warn that Beijing will likely lag behind cities in more developed nations.

"We hope through the work of preparing for the Paralympics we can in Beijing reach national standards. But quickly reaching common, but rather high, international standards is difficult for all places," says Tang Xiaoquan, who is a director with the China Disabled People's Federation.

Beijing says, for the first time in Paralympics history, the city will pay all travel expenses for disabled athletes and team officials.

Olympic theme appears in many aspects of Chinese Lunar New Year

Sending New Year greetings, setting off colorful firecrackers, visiting relatives and friends with carefully chosen presents, strolling through temple fairs with the family, or watching CCTV's annual show on New Year's eve ... all are longstanding ways for Chinese to celebrate the Lunar New Year Festival, which began on Wednesday.

This year's festivities have a novel touch: 2008 is the year that China will host the 29th Olympic Games, which are meant to be a green, high-tech global event. And not surprisingly, the games showed up in many aspects of this year's celebrations.

Watching the CCTV show with the family has become one of the most important rituals for many Chinese. The program often has an audience rating of more than 90 percent.

This year, a very popular part of the program was a little tale about a torchbearer, the story of an elderly couple competing to be Olympic torchbearers. Although they were portrayed as a bit cranky, the two were also as hospitable and warm-hearted as other Olympic volunteers.

After the program, the next thing to do was to set off firecrackers at midnight to say hello to the new year and farewell to the old one. There were different kinds of firecrackers this year, since many cracker-makers featured products with Olympic-related themes.

Beijing Panda Fireworks Ltd., for example, offered a package that held five kinds of crackers symbolizing both the five Olympic rings and five "ring roads" that encircle Beijing.

"The series was produced to wish for a lucky, vigorous and prosperous Beijing Olympics," said Pan Di, the manager of the company.

Pasting Spring Festival scrolls on both sides of the door is one of the major rites Chinese people have observed, and the contents of many scrolls this year were, of course, Olympic-themed.

"Holding the Olympic Games is a 100-year-old dream for all Chinese ... since the dream will finally come true this year, we're pasting the scrolls to show our happiness," said a citizen named Sun Ruisheng.

People went out, mostly with the whole family, to visit relatives and friends on Thursday, the first day of the Lunar New Year. But with text messages and e-mail now popular in China, many sent greetings electronically.

Before the Spring Festival, 19 web sites -- including sina.com and sohu.com -- held a competition to choose the best text messages. Twenty of the messages got at least 5 million votes. Olympic-themed messages accounted for 14 of the 20, including number one.

Visitors must also bring presents, and the Olympic mascot, "Fuwa", was popular this year in Beijing.

"We sold about 10,000 yuan worth of 'Fuwa' per day since the middle of January, whereas before that, we got only about 2,000 yuan in daily sales. People bought them mainly as greeting presents," said one approved Beijing outlet for mascot sales in Wangfujing Street, one of the bustling commercial districts in the Chinese capital.

Temple fairs were on the must-do list for many Beijingers. The city's material cultural heritage office said that there would be about 20 temple fairs in Beijing, half with Olympic themes.

Also for the seven-day Spring Festival holiday, Olympic volunteers in the capital set up about 100 kiosks at top restaurants, hotels and tourist sites for visitors from elsewhere in China and overseas. About 10,000 volunteers were ready to provide services like interpretation and map information.

There were also many people who couldn't get home for the holidays, and 1,500 construction workers at the Olympics "water cube" were among them.

"By working with my colleagues on the site, I think I have made my own contribution to the Beijing Olympics, and I feel honored and proud," said a worker named Qu Shusen.

Exodus to the Olympic Games

A MASS exodus of Australian tourists and corporate heavyweights to Beijing is forecast for August's Olympic Games.

With just 181 days to go to the world's biggest sporting event, Australia's airlines and travel agents are bracing themselves for a huge increase in passengers.

Research by the Pacific Asia Travel Association has found 12 per cent, or 2.4 million Australians, wanted to visit Beijing for the Games from August 8-24.

More than 50 per cent of Aussies said they were considering travelling to Asia within the year.

PATA also says Beijing airport will have to deal with more than 25,000 extra flights just in August.

Travel agent giants Flight Centre predict an airline seating shortage in late July with more than 125,000 international visitors expected in Australia for Pope Benedict XVI's first Australian visit for World Youth Day.

Flight Centre marketing general manager Colin Bowman said those wanting to fly home after the Pope's visit would make it even harder for Olympic fans trying to get to Beijing.

Mr Bowman said the usual seat shortage on some international routes from June to August would worsen because of the major events clash.

"Given the massive international interest in World Youth Day and the expected influx of tourists, we expect heightened availability problems around that time as travellers make their way to and from Australia," Mr Bowman said.

"Travel via Asia will be affected because of the Olympics in China in August."

Some of Australia's most powerful executives will also jet to the Chinese capital to mix with company bosses from around the world.

Business Club Australia promotions manager David Buckley said a Beijing hotel would become the headquarters for a series of networking sessions endorsed by the Australian Olympic Committee.

Major Australian banks, insurance companies, and mining corporations are among those expected to make the trip.

Torch relay for Beijing Olympic Games in Greece settled

The torch relay for the Beijing Olympic Games will last seven days on Greek territory, after the Lighting of the Flame in Ancient Olympia on March 24.

According to a press release from the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the Olympic Flame will cover in Greece 1.528 kilometers by the hands of 605 bearers.

The torch relay will pass through 16 prefectures, 43 municipalities, 4 communities and there will be organized 29 ceremonies in specific cities along the route of the torch relay.

The Olympic Flame will be lit in Ancient Olympia at 12.00 o'clock March 24 and will be handed over to the Organizing Committee of Beijing on the March 30 at 15.00 at the Panathenaikon Stadium in Athens, the venue where the first Modern Olympics Games began in 1896.

Olympic preparations, ambitions on test in Water Cube debut event

The Water Cube's debut event was not all about competition: it's about getting familiar with the water and try out hands six months before the big-time Olympics in the Chinese capital.

The Swimming China Open ended its six-day competitions on Tuesday in the bubble-wrapped Olympic venue, with 32 golds bagged by teams including host China, Germany and Japan, the top three on the medal tally.

A sizeable competition force of more than 200 swimmers came to Beijing. Only a few top swimming powers such as the United States and Australia were absent.

But the meet was not short of top-notch swimmers. German sent in the world 100m freestyle record-holder Britta Steffen and world championship silver winner Annika Lurz. Steffen won two gold medals in women's 50 and 100 meters freestyle, while Lurz was crowned in the women's 400 meters freestyle and 100 meters freestyle relay.

World No. 2 butterfly specialist Pawel Korzeniowski of Poland and Sweden's sprinter Stefan Nystrand were also among the few leading swimmers who impressed the spectators in Beijing.

Korzeniowski won his best event in men's 200 meters butterfly and sprint specialist Nystrand claimed the men's 50 meters and 100meters freestyle titles.

However, Olympic 200m butterfly champion and multiple-medallist Otylia Jedrzejczak of Poland did not think too much about winning golds at the event. "I've been doing intense training," she said.

The Chinese team, headed by top breaststroker Qi Hui and long-distance swimmer Zhang Lin, indeed shared some of the limelight. With two golds and three results under the Olympic qualifying A standards, Qi declared a comeback from being bogged down by failed trainings.

Zhang in turn impressed the home crowd with a new national record in men's 400 meters freestyle, and brought himself closer to world's first-ranking South Korea's Park Tae-Hwan.

But the Chinese team may have to make another few leaps to realize its Olympic ambitions after the retirement of Olympic women 's 100 meters breaststroke gold medallist Luo Xuejuan.

China's No.1 male swimmer and butterfly specialist Wu Peng appeared in the stadium but didn't compete. Wu and some other Chinese swimmers are not in winter training.

Water Cube is one of the flagship Olympic facilities, neighboring the Birds Nest, the main stadium.

The facility, which will host swimming, diving, synchronized swimming competitions during this summer's Olympics, offers a huge slice of gold, silver and bronze medals in the Olympics. By then, swimming sensations like Michael Phelps, Australian stars Leisel Jones, Libby Lenton and Laure Manaudou of France, are all poised for the gold rush.

Its debut event has drawn accolades from officials and the athletes. A high-ranking IOC member Kevan Gosper called it "out of this world" and "breathtaking".

Mongolia's Tsogjargal Narantsog, who swam in the men's 100 meters butterfly heat, was officially the first swimmer in the pool. He won cheering applause despite a slow performance. China's Shi Feng also made a few headlines when he won the venue's first gold on offer in men's 100 meters butterfly.

As praises were piled on the center, glitches were also discovered in the test event: mixed zone is too small, change room is too hot and air is too dry. But venue officials assured these problems would be addressed. "The operation teams and other relevant parties will brainstorm on making necessary changes to the facility," said Shang Heshun, director of the venue.

"So far, all operations have gone well and we have gathered valuable experience for the August Olympics," he added.

Lunar New Year gets off to Olympic start in China

BEIJING (AFP) — Drum rolls and dragon dances set off Lunar New Year celebrations here Wednesday as revellers welcomed an Olympic-themed Year of the Rat.

Millions will throng parks across the country to enjoy the food and fun during the holiday season and in Beijing, the host of the 2008 Olympics, there was an added dimension at Long Tan Park.

The park's temple fair was chosen by Olympic organisers to showcase the Games and bring the Olympics closer to the people.

Adults and children were invited to try their hand at sports they have only seen on television such as archery, shooting, fencing and boxing.

Transport worker Dong Yi, 32, said she had gained respect for Olympic competitors after shooting a pistol.

"They shoot twice -- bang! bang! -- and get the full score. I shot for a long time until my arm was shaking. It's very hard. Those Olympic champions are really great."

Singers, dancers, acrobats and artists performed lavish shows in the parks while food stalls groaned under an array of delicacies including baked scorpion on sticks.

For those with a sweet tooth, sugared Osama Bin Laden-shaped candies were on offer along with rat-shaped lollipops.

Children skated around dressed as fuwa, the animal-shaped Olympic mascots.

With the Beijing Games just over 180 days away, 26-year-old magazine editor Chi Yan thought he would try his luck on a rowing machine in one of several Olympic booths set up in the park.

"That's hard work. Hats off to the athletes," he said.

For many Chinese, New Year's eve on Wednesday will include a temple fair visit, a family dinner, and fireworks to welcome New Year's day on Thursday.

"New Year is mainly about family, being with your loved ones," said Chi. "So I will spend the festival with my parents."

Wang Hui, head of the Olympic organising committee's media department, said the Olympic show was aimed at letting the people experience the Games.

"Temple fairs are for ordinary folk to enjoy," she said. "Maybe they won't have a chance go to the real Games, so letting them experience the Olympics at the fair is a perfect combination."

Athens Mayor to attend opening ceremony of Beijing Olympic Games

ATHENS, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis told Chinese Ambassador Luo Linquan here on Monday that he has accepted the invitation from Beijing to attend the opening ceremony of Beijing Olympic Games which will open on August 8.

He said he is very glad that Beijing hosts the Olympic Games right after Athens. He wishes Beijing Olympic Games a big success.

He said both Greece and China are countries with long history and rich in cultural relics. He always has a special feeling towards China.

Both the Chinese Ambassador Luo and the Mayor Kaklamanis said they will work together to promote the cooperation and friendship between Athens and Beijing, which became sister cities since 2005.

Olympic Games Network Security Emergency Treatment Team Set Up In Beijing

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Network Security Emergency Treatment Team, which consists of more than 30 technicians and anti-virus experts from Chinese anti-virus service provider Jiangmin, has been set up in Beijing.

The team's work is divided into two parts of daily affairs and emergency treatment. It will be directly responsible for the network security of websites related to the Olympic Games.

During the Olympic Games, members of the team need to each day summarize and report various information obtained from the anti-virus pre-warning supervision platform; register online security or virus incidents during the event; analyze the accidents occurring; and provide an effective solution to any emergencies. In addition, they must be ready for any task at any time of the day to ensure that they will be available for solving various online security problems when needed.

Environment Ecology Holding Company of China Receives Order of US$1.02 Million to Provide Seedlings to Beijing Olympic Forest Park

XI'AN, Shaanxi, China, Feb 04, 2008 /Xinhua-PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Environment Ecology Holding Company of China (OTC Bulletin Board: EVEH), a leading landscape engineering company in China, today announced it signed its first seedling supply contract for the Beijing Olympics' Olympic Forest Park.

According to the contract, the company will provide white pine, Chinese pine and two other kinds of Chinese pines before May 2008 to the Olympic Forest Park. The amount of the contract is US$1.02 Million (equivalent to RMB7.46 million).

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will be known as the Green Olympics in order to demonstrate China's commitment to clean, renewable energy and a green Olympics.

As Beijing and Xi'an are of the same latitude, the seedlings were all growing well in Beijing and had high survival rates as well as strong adaptability.

The company, whose products and services include plant breeding, lawn breeding, seedling breeding, afforestation conservation service, garden design, afforestation construction, believes that being associated with the Olympic Park presents a unique opportunity to exhibit its products and open markets.

About The Olympic Forest Park:

The 680-hectare Olympic Forest Park, located in the northern and central part of the Olympic Green, will serve to clean up the city's environment and as a good place for the citizens to spend their leisure time. It is divided into wetland and ecological, wildlife and sports and recreational areas featuring water, dam, bridge, lamp and tree sceneries.

The Olympic Green Park, heart of the 2008 Games, covers an area of 1135 hectares in the north of Beijing. To its south are 14 stadiums, Olympic Village, Media Centre, International Radio and TV Centre, National Sports Museum, China International Exhibition Centre and National Olympic Sports Centre.

About Environment Ecology Holding Company of China

Environment Ecology Holding Company of China (OTC Bulletin Board: EVEH) is an integrated provider of combined garden afforestation design and construction, municipal government garden Greenland, garden afforestation seedling production and operation. The company's products and services include plant breeding, lawn breeding, seedling breeding, afforestation conservation service, garden design, and afforestation construction. The Company has developed a number of new clean technologies for garden project construction and garden breeding. With the authorized senior qualification, it is a leading company in the industry with the highest market share, the largest breeding base and the highest brand value in northwestern China. The Company has conducted many afforestation projects of with a success rate above 90%. The Company has recognized with national, municipality-level and district-level awards in the PRC. More information about the company can be found on the corporate web site at http://www.chinaecoholding.com .

Forward-looking Statements

Certain statements in this report, including statements of our expectations, intentions, plans and beliefs, including those contained in or implied by "Management's Discussion and Analysis" and the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, are "forward-looking statements", within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), that are subject to certain events, risks and uncertainties that may be outside our control. The words "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "optimistic", "intend", "will" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward- looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements of management's plans and objectives for our future operations and statements of future economic performance, information regarding our expansion and possible results from expansion, our expected growth, our capital budget and future capital requirements, the availability of funds and our ability to meet future capital needs, the realization of our deferred tax assets, and the assumptions described in this report underlying such forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments could differ materially from those expressed in or implied by such statements due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, those described in the context of such forward-looking statements.

Northwest Airlines Increases Capacity for Olympic Games

www.nwa.com - Northwest Airlines (NYSE: NWA) today announced that it will increase capacity for the 2008 Olympic Games by utilizing the largest aircraft in the Northwest fleet, a Boeing 747-400, to the Beijing Olympics from its hub in Tokyo between July 29 and Aug. 29, 2008.

"Northwest Airlines is pleased to respond to customer demand for
the Beijing Olympics by increasing capacity to accommodate 10,000 additional customers during this very popular travel period," said Laura Liu, senior vice president - international. "We are striving to offer as many travel opportunities as possible for customers travel to the spectacular sporting and cultural events that will take place this summer in Beijing, China."

The B747-400 will replace Airbus A330 service and offer 65 seats in World Business Class and 338 seats in the main cabin. -0- Tokyo-Beijing Service (a) Flight number: Departs: Arrives: NW 11 6:45 p.m. 9:35 p.m. Beijing-Tokyo Service Flight number: Departs: Arrives: NW 12 8:55 a.m. 2:15 p.m.

(a)Daily Service

Including Beijing, Northwest has one of the world's largest Pacific route networks. Northwest operates a network linking seven U.S. gateways and twelve Asian destinations via its Tokyo hub. The U.S. destinations include Detroit, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Portland, San Francisco and Seattle. The Asian destinations served from Tokyo include Bangkok, Beijing, Busan, Guam, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Manila, Nagoya, Saipan, Seoul, Shanghai and Singapore.

Northwest Airlines is one of the world's largest airlines with hubs at Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, Tokyo and Amsterdam, and approximately 1,400 daily departures. Northwest is a member of SkyTeam, an airline alliance that offers customers one of the world's most extensive global networks. Northwest and its travel partners serve more than 1,000 cities in excess of 160 countries on six continents.