BEIJING, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The economy of Beijing
would not experience a big fluctuation or slump after the Olympics, a local
official told reporters here on Saturday.
The expectation of no post-Olympics economic trough in Beijing was a consensus reached among economists, businesses and government officials, according to Lu
Yingchuan, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform
Commission.
"The city is developing, and its economic growth is a
result of the city's industrial restructuring and growing demands from
consumers," Lu said at a press conference at the 2008 Beijing International
Media Center.
"Hosting of the Olympic Games has been a boost to the
economy, but in the end the economic boom is decided by the city's stage of
development."
Lu said the economy of cities with people's per
capita annual income between 7,000 U.S. dollars to 10,000 U.S. dollars had
always been robust in history, and Beijing is just at such a stage.
There has been systematic arrangement for the city's
construction and development before and after the Games, such as stated in the
15-year planning drafted in 2005 and the city's five-year plan (2006-2010), Lu
said.
He said many construction projects would be started
after the Olympics along with the increasing population and economic
development.
One example is the building of more subway lines, he
added.
Beijing is expected to have 19 subway lines at the
end of 2015, Huang Yan, director of the Municipal Commission of Urban Planning,
said in February. The city currently has eight subway lines in operation.
Many other new projects, such as those covering areas
of energy, water supplies and environmental protection, are also planned, Lu
said.
He said a great number of new projects or measures
would be initiated shortly after the Olympics, without giving further
details.