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The top Chinese official in charge of Olympic preparations has demanded a tightening of already sweeping security measures surrounding the games, but balanced this with a call for efforts to minimise the “bother” caused to the public.
The call from Xi Jinping, vice-president, comes amid heightened terrorism concerns after two people died and 14 were injured in the unexplained bombing of two buses in south-western Yunnan province on Monday.
A security crackdown involving multiple ID checks for foreigners and locals, hundreds of roadblocks around the capital and curbs on entertainment activities have already led some to dub the 2008 games the “no-fun Olympics”.
Mr Xi's comments, reported in state newspapers yesterday, left no doubt that leaders are grappling with the issue of ensuring security without alienating residents during the games.
“If the Olympics are not safe, there is nothing else worth speaking of,” Mr Xi, a member of the Communist party's ruling politburo standing committee, was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency.
“Under the pre-conditions of as far as possible benefiting the people and causing them minimum bother, Olympics security work must be carried out even more strictly and even more appropriately,” he said.
Chinese leaders have previously referred only obliquely to the disturbance caused to Beijing residents by the mammoth task of hosting the world's biggest sportsfest, while state-controlled media have maintained a relentlessly upbeat tone in Olympics coverage.
Last week, Olympic security supremo Zhou Yongkang said security checks such as the hundreds of roadblocks around Beijing should be “civilised, speedy and convenient” as well as thorough. But even after checks were streamlined, drivers complained about being stopped many times.
Many in Beijing are grumbling about intrusive security, with complaints appearing on websites, despite the suppression by internet censors of discussion deemed critical of the games.
“My colleagues and I all reckon that during this period it's better not to go out on the street or to anywhere there are a lot of people,” one internet user going by the name of Li Puman wrote yesterday. “The government has turned this into the Harassment Games,” complained another.
It is unclear how Beijing can balance such feelings against its determination that the games be undisturbed by danger or dissent.
However, Michael Payne, who was in charge of marketing for the International Olympic Committee until 2004, says the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games – held while memories of 9/11 were still fresh – is an example of how a friendly ap-proach can reduce the chilling effect of tight security.
Beijing can also draw on reserves of goodwill among residents, many of whom are deeply proud that their city is the Olympic host.
负责奥运筹备的中国最高官员要求把本已十分严密的奥运安保措施做得更严密，但同时也呼吁尽可能“少扰民”。
在人们对恐怖活动担忧加大之际，中国国家副主席习近平发出上述呼吁。周一，云南省两辆公共汽车发生原因不明的爆炸，造成2人死亡，14人受伤。
北京在奥运前夕实行的安保措施，包括对外国人和市民的多重身份检查，北京外围道路上数以百计的检查站，以及对娱乐活动的限制，已导致某些人将2008北京奥运形容为“无趣的奥运”。
习近平的表态发表在昨日官方报纸上。他的表态清楚表明，中国领导人试图做到在奥运期间既确保安全，又不疏远北京市民。
据官方新华社报道，中共中央政治局常委习近平表示：“没有平安奥运，一切无从谈起。”
“在尽可能多惠民、少扰民的前提下，把奥运安保工作做得更严密、更得体，”习近平表示。
此前，中国领导人只是间接地提到主办奥运这一巨大任务给北京市民带来的不便。在奥运报道中，官方控制的媒体一直采取坚定的乐观口径。
上周，主管奥运安保工作的周永康表示，包括北京外围道路上数以百计的检查站在内的安全检查，应该做到“文明、快捷、方便”，同时又不失严格细致。但即使在精简这些检查措施后，驾车者仍对多次被要求停车进行抱怨。
许多北京市民对扰人的安保措施发牢骚。尽管网管部门压制那些被视为批评奥运的讨论，各网站上出现不少抱怨帖子。
“我和同事都琢磨，这段时间最好别上街，也别去往人多的地方。”自称为李普曼(Li Puman，音译)的网民昨日写道。另一人则抱怨：“政府把这场运动会搞成了骚扰运动会。”
北京如何在这种情绪与其保证奥运不受危险或异见打扰的决心之间保持平衡，目前尚不清楚。
不过，在2004年以前为国际奥委会(International Olympic Committee)营销主管迈克尔·佩恩(Michael Payne)表示，在9/11恐怖袭击发生后不久举行的2002盐湖城冬季奥运会，提供了一个例子，说明采取一种友善的方式，能够减轻严密安保产生的“寒意”。
北京还可以依赖市民的热情，许多市民对自己的城市能够主办奥运会深感自豪。
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