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From China Daily September 9, 2005
Beijing marksmen handpicked for 2008
Capital selects top
sharpshooters in the run-up to the Olympics
Beijing
police have set up a crack team of marksmen for the
security of 2008 Olympic Games after a month of trials
involving more than 200 of the force's best shots.
The final
30marksmen chosen from the trials – that ended on
September 1 – were yesterday awarded medals. The top
10 were named "Elite Marksman” with the remaining 20
labelled as "Excellent."
The 30
sharpshooters will be the first in line to deal with
kidnap - pings, riots and incidents involving
firearms, said Ma Qiang, a senior official with the
Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau who was in
charge of the trials.
"They
will become the first batch of top marksmen in a
talent pool of the city's police force," said Ma,
adding that the pool includes other officers with
outstanding skills in a variety of fields, such as
forensics, bomb disposal and negotiations-
"Of
course, the sharpshooters will become an important
force to safeguard the security of the 2008 Games," Ma
noted.
He said
the shooting trials would be held annually in order to
reinforce the elite force and enhance the marksmanship
of the Beijing police.
"The
outcome of the fit selection is very encouraging," Ma
said. "The 06 contestants were selected from around
the city. Eighty-three per cent of them met the
standard of excellence during the first phase and 73
per cent did so during the second phase-"
Zhang
Xipeng, the best marksman overall, said he felt
honoured to become a member of the task force for
Olympic security.
"I am
ready to go into any riot situation or Other armed
crime scene," said the 24-year-old, who works at the
Criminal Investigation Division under the bureau.
"However,
what I really want is that I never have to use my gun
in a real situation. After all, people want a stable
and peaceful society. I hope our sharpshooters can
serve as a deterrent to potential offenders,” Zhang
said, holding his gold medal.
Following
the subway and bus bombings that killed more than 50
people this July in London, host to the 2012Olympics,
Chinese officials have been talking about stepping up
security for the 2008 Games.
The city
has invited international experts to comment on its
security plans and is learning from other countries
about security checks at large public events.
Beijing
police last month signed a declaration with capital
police agencies of the 10 members of the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as Japan
and the Republic of Korea in order to enhance police
co-operation.”
According
to the declaration, all parties will set up a regular
liaison mechanism for intelligence sharing and joint
actions against terrorist threats and cross-boarder
crime.
Ma Zhenchuan, director of
the public security bureau, said Beijing police are
seeking extensive international co-operation on
Olympic security." We hope that wider participation by
our international colleagues will help upgrade our
security network for the Games.”
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