World Events

Stars

China

Basketball

Soccer

Tennis

N.America

Olympics

Security measures upgraded for safest Universiade

By Liang Qiwen (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-07 13:25

Ensuring a safe and successful Universiade Shenzhen 2011 is the most important task facing the event's organizing committee, according to Liang Daoxing, director general of the executive office of the organizing committee for the Universiade Shenzhen 2011.

He said: "The public security bureau of Shenzhen has done a great deal to ensure publicity in the run-up to the Universiade."

The committee has learned a number of lessons from the successful security protocols put in place for the duration of the Beijing Olympic Games in August 2008.

They are now confident that all the appropriate resources are in situ and that the use of state of-the-art high-tech security equipment will ensure the safety of competitors and spectators alike during the games.

Highlighting the potential dangers, according to the local public security bureau, Shenzhen is the biggest port city in China. Half of the visitors coming to China enter the Chinese mainland via Shenzhen's ports, whilst 70 percent of all inward-coming vehicles access the same route. This, understandably, creates a number of security issues.

To counter these problems, the local public security officials have introduced stringent new measures at several of the most vulnerable locations. These include:

Increased vigilance on all airports, buses and subways, often prime targets for terrorist attacks

Safety checks on all passengers departing from or arriving at Shenzhen airport

Additional checks on all luggages

Complete prohibition of any dangerous items being brought into Shenzhen from abroad

Related readings:  Shenzhen begins handover mission for Universiade 2011  Chinese gymnasts show different class at Universiade  Infrastructure overhaul well ahead of schedule for Universiade 2011  Winter Universiade bolsters Harbin's economy

A public awareness program, instigated by the security bureau, aimed at raising awareness of possible terrorist threats

The establishment of anti-terrorism team, able to counteract terrorists on land, at sea or in the air

The proposed new measures follow the establishment of security steering committee two years ago. The committee held its first conference in April 2008 and is now staging regular briefings on security issues.

The membership of the committee has been drawn from a number of different sources, including the public security bureau, the armed police and the army.

As part of a bid to ensure maximum security for the Universiade, a 30-member delegation from Shenzhen public security bureau visited Guangzhou.

Whilst there they studied the lessons learnt by Guangzhou's security teams in the run-up to next year's Asian Games. In a similar move, a 60-strong delegation from Shenzhen visited Harbin in February of this year to inspect the security arrangements for the 24th Winter Universiade.

The security steering committee is currently compiling guidelines, which will be delivered to all public security bureaus and offices across the city. A batch of English-language security service booklets is expected to be delivered to Shenzhen's customs in August.