Beijing to Trim Its Olympic Excesses

Beijing is about to scale down its construction plans for the Olympics, concerned that extravagance - the projected cost could be three times that of the Athens games - may horrify rather than impress the world in 2008.

It is expected to announce today that it will halve the number of new stadiums, modify the most ostentatious features and make greater use of existing facilities, the Chinese media reported.

Beijing embarked on the most ambitious building spree in Olympic history with the intention of using the games as a "coming out" party for a country with a fast-growing economy which wants to be recognised as one of the world's leading civilisations.

New metros and roads, an airport terminal and thousands of toilets are now being built at an estimated cost of $30bn-40bn (£17bn-22bn).

But reports of cost overruns and corruption have alarmed the government, which fears that excessive lavishness could highlight the social inequality of a country where tens of millions live on about 50p a day and spending on healthcare is now among the lowest in the world.

Since the mayor of Beijing, Wang Qishin, called for a more frugal Olympics last month, building work has stopped and designers have been sent back to the drawing board.

The People's Daily reported that the city government will announce that five of the 10 stadium projects will be scrapped.

Other publications have reported that the tennis centre is under review and that the equestrian events are likely to be moved to Hong Kong.

Last month the city government announced that the "bird's nest" national stadium, where the opening ceremony will be held, will be built without a retractable roof and with fewer seats, to save £180m and 10,000 tonnes of steel.

The national swimming centre, designed to resemble a liquid cube, has been reduced by 7,800 square metres to save £65m.

The seating capacity of the wrestling arena has been cut from 10,000 to 8,000 and the basketball stadium shorn of some of its flashier features.

Originally due for completion by 2006, the stadiums will not open until 2007, to save running costs.