The city of Shanghai will play host to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit meeting on June 15. Local authorities say that although they are still putting the final touches to their preparations, they are ready to ensure a smooth summit.?

 

A key component of the overall preparation plan was to spruce up the city's image. Bus stands have been renovated, and buses and taxis cleaned up. Authorities have also slapped a ban on buses that emit excessive amounts of exhaust.

 

Transportation companies such as Bus Group, Dazhong Transportation Group and Qiangsheng Group are doing their bit, too, by conducting thorough inspections of their vehicles.

 

Moreover, the municipal Transportation Bureau has mapped out a special scheme to regulate passenger transportation, safety supervision and the appearance of vehicles.

 

Water supply during the summit is another key feature of preparatory work for the summit. The Shanghai Water Supply Administration has drawn up two new systems that cover water supply, including dispatch and connection, and water safety and quality testing. The objective of the systems is to ensure a steady supply of treated water to both the summit and the city's inhabitants.??

　　

Another important aspect of summit preparations is communications network and security.

 

According to a Xinhua News Agency report on June 6, Shanghai Mobile will have two communications vehicles on standby during the summit to ensure that there is no downtime in the networks. Shanghai Unicom has set up working teams to handle emergencies.

 

In addition, communications base stations and equipment will run 24/7 at the summit venue and along stretches of road that will be cordoned off for use by summit participants only. Technicians will be on standby, ready to be mobilized within 24 hours. Electricity generators have also been prepared.

 

When summit participants and accredited journalists touch down at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, they will be ushered through special channels to facilitate a quick and safe clearance. Priority landing rights will also be given to aircraft carrying summit participants.

 

Established in 2001, the SCO comprises permanent members China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with Mongolia, Iran, Pakistan and India as observers. The SCO was established on June 15, 2001.

 

(China.org.cn by Zhou Jing, June 8, 2006)