According to Zhang Huiguan, Director of the Civilization Promotion Office of the Beijing municipal government, as part of the preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games, certain public transgressions such as spitting and littering will be punished. An inspection team is to be set up in Tiananmen Square, Wangfujing and three other busy downtown areas.

The patrol team will consist of members of the urban management enforcement department with each panel consisting of at least five people, including three volunteers. Violators who do not heed warnings will be penalized.

The team has already sprung into action at the Beijing West Railway Station, home to the largest flow of human traffic in Beijing. Here, if someone is caught spitting or randomly littering by the personnel, he is instructed not to do it again, and to use paper bags or dustbins in the future.

During the two-hours tracking report last Saturday, people caught spitting and littering cleaned up after themselves.

"Initially, you may hold a resistant attitude towards the personnel's persuasion tactics," says Ms. Huang, a Shanghai. "But if the passers-by also reproach you for your bad habits, you may feel a sense of shame and finally be loath to repeat your misconduct."

She also considers such measures important, not just for the successful hosting of the Olympic Games in Beijing, but also for establishing a more civilized social atmosphere.

Zhang says the campaign will continue through a combination of education and punishment. "The aim is to eliminate spitting, littering and other unhygienic habits altogether, in public spots," he says. "It will take time and patience, but it's worth it."

(Source: chinanews, translated by KANG TAIYI)