Beijing prepares for Olympic visitors

Beijing is busying itself ahead of next year's Olympic Games.

The government is investing some $40 billion in improving the Chinese capital's infrastructure, with vast improvements being made to roads, airports, ports and railways to ease fears of congestion in the region and to leave a lasting legacy for the city.

As part of the improvements, tests are set to get underway next month on a new bullet train that will link Beijing with Shanghai, according to the Xinhua news agency.

The service, which will have a top speed of 155mph, is expected to cut the journey time between the two cities from nine hours to five.

Officials have also intimated that 40 main roads and nine expressways will be built during 2007 around Beijing.

An extra five subway and light rail projects will also begin this year, bringing the number of ongoing works to nine, including the city's light rail link with the airport, the transportation committee has said.