BEIJING (AP) β Chinese officials say they would provide high security for a Winter Olympics in Beijing, as IOC evaluators wrap up their five-day inspection tour of the city’s 2022 bid.
Bid official Zhang Jiandong told reporters Friday that Beijing had a proven track record in providing security for the millions of visitors and thousands of events the city hosts annually.
Beijing has one of the lowest crime levels of any major world city, although separatists fighting Chinese rule in northwestern China have targeted the city on at least one occasion.
Zhang’s comments followed the conclusion of presentations and site inspections by the 19-member IOC evaluation commission. They depart Saturday following a closing news conference.
The inspection is a key test of Beijing’s status as a front-runner in the bid race against Almaty, Kazakhstan.
