Special report: 2008 Olympic Games

    BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- A security official with the upcoming Beijing Olympics said here on Thursday that troops from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) were in position to ensure the safety of the Games.

    The military had been deployed and were capable of completing their tasks, said Tian Yixiang, director of military affairs department under the Security Command Center for the Games of the 29th Olympiad.

    ARMY, NAVY, AIR FORCE MOBILIZED

    During the Olympics, the PLA army, navy and air force would be coordinated and deployed in the four military commands in and around Beijing, Tian told Xinhua.

    Land forces based in Beijing and three neighboring military area commands, including Shenyang, Jinan and Nanjing, would help to safeguard the Games, he said.

    Special forces such as an army air unit, an engineering force and chemical defense troops would join the mission, he noted, adding combat aircraft, helicopter, warships, missiles, chemical defense equipment and radar would be used in case of security threats.

    AIR FORCE

    To ensure safety, Beijing would follow other host cities in setting up a no-fly zone, Tian said.

    The air force would prevent and tackle emergencies, especially terrorist attacks, based on information sent by its defense system.

    A four-step countermeasure, including warning, interception, forced landing and attack, would be used for potential threats.

    Troops would also cooperate with public security departments to exercise strict ground control and ban the lift-off of any small aircraft, Tian said.

    NAVY

    A multi-layer observation and defense system of the navy would be established during the Games, he said.

    Prohibited and restricted areas near the competing venues would be set up to ban suspicious vessels and the navy would be on round-the-clock patrol, according to the official.

    Searching and observation efforts would be intensified with security measures beefed up in radar, observation and communication posts, he said.

    Before any event at sea started, frogmen from the marine would carry out underwater checkup to eliminate suspicious objects and hidden danger, Tian noted.

    The navy would also be engaged in rescue missions in case of natural disasters such as typhoon, tsunami and storms, he said.

    SPECIAL FORCES

    The focus of the military would be on tackling possible terrorist attacks equipped with nuclear and chemical weapons, Tian told Xinhua.

    Security checks, monitoring facilities and special forces would all be in place near Olympic venues to detect and dispose of such weapons, he said.

    Before the opening ceremony of the Games, anti-chemical forces, engineer and medical soldiers would have a 24-hour standby near Olympic venues to assist public security personnel to tackle emergencies, he said.

    MOBILE FORCES

    Part of the forces would be reserved to help local governments with emergency relief, he said. These forces would cope with possible dangers triggered by natural disasters, accidents, and threats to public security and social order.

    Rescue and relief plans had already been formulated and facilities and equipment for emergency relief were ready, said the official, adding the military had rehearsed.

    INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE

    The military's participation in Olympics security work conformed to international practice and Chinese law, according to Tian.

    Officers had drawn up security plans after studying the successful experience of Olympics host cities, including Athens and Sydney, he said.

    "Troops from the PLA are fully confident and capable of completing tasks assigned by the government and providing solid guarantees for the Olympics," he said.

    Besides, according to the Security Command Center, the PLA would also offer intelligence support, emergency rescues, medical aid and helicopter transportation during the Games.

    The army's daily drills for the Olympics include preventing guns and explosives from nearing important targets, detecting and disarming explosives, rescuing victims stranded in damaged buildings and leading emergency evacuations, among other activities.

    It would strengthen border control and management during the Games to ensure safety of the country's border area and coastline.

    China has put an emphasis on security in the run-up to the Games. An anti-terrorist force of nearly 100,000 commandos, police and troops is on high alert for attempted terrorist attacks.

    Security forces in host cities -- Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Qingdao, Shenyang, Qinhuangdao and Hong Kong -- have been patrolling the land, air and sea around all venues.