Olympics: Beijing paints town green for Olympic inspection

Officials in Beijing are painting the city green in an attempt to impress Olympics inspectors.

The inspectors arrive next week to assess the Chinese capital's bid to host the 2008 Games.

In a big clean-up campaign, government crews are dyeing lawns in the city centre an emerald green.

The preparations underscore the importance Chinese leaders attach to landing the Olympics.

They regard the Games as nothing short of proof that Beijing has arrived as an international capital.

In a dress rehearsal Friday for the inspection, reporters were shown a sewage-treatment plant and the city's usually secretive traffic-control centre.

Beijing leaders are eager to dispel lingering doubts that the already crowded city of 11 million can handle an influx of thousands of athletes, journalists and spectators.