China steps up security ahead of Olympics

updated 5:43 p.m. ET April 24, 2008

BEIJING - Foreigners report random ID checks. Police check on chemicals in school science labs. A music festival is postponed. With 3 1/2 months to go, China is ramping up its campaign to tighten security ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

Authorities are taking no chances that Beijing's moment in the international spotlight will be marred by protests or attacks. The pro-Tibet demonstrations that are dogging the Olympic torch on its world tour have only served to heighten the government's worries.

Beijing's Public Security Bureau kicked off an "Olympic security" campaign this month that will run through October, saying "some unstable factors" could affect the August games.

Twice in recent months, the government has accused Muslim separatists in the Xinjiang region of terror plots tied to the Olympics. Activist groups critical of China's human rights abuses and its rule over Tibet have pledged to try to disrupt the games.

"They certainly have reason to be worried," said David Zweig, director of the Center on China's Transnational Relations at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. "Given the failure to be prepared for what happened in Tibet, one should not be surprised by overreaction."

Tighter security ahead of Olympics
The Beijing campaign includes increased security checks at hotels, entertainment areas and rented homes, the security bureau's Web site said. Officials will also seek to control access to explosives and firearms, ensure the safety of gas and oil pipelines and crack down on crime.

Broader measures range from random ID checks to visa restrictions that severely limit who can visit, live or work in China. Even public gatherings are suspect, with police ordering the cancellation of several major events, including a popular Beijing music festival in May.

"I understand the (police are) mainly concerned about young people gathering together and doing radical things," said Zhang Fan, founder of the MIDI Music Festival, which authorities put off until October.

Schools have been told some 250 chemicals are restricted for purchase between May 1 and Oct. 17, said a senior official at a school in Beijing. Police recently inspected the school's boilers and demanded details on how chemicals are stored in science labs, the official said, requesting anonymity to avoid any official repercussions.

Staff at another school, the International School of Beijing, have been advised to carry identification documents and to be prepared for random breathalyzer tests on the street, communications director Lance Witte said.

"We have a weekly update on safety and security now because there's always something new," he said.

For many foreigners, the biggest concern has been a tightening of visa requirements.

Unprecedented challenges
In a country where control has long been paramount, China faces unprecedented challenges when an estimated half million visitors come to Beijing for the Olympics, along with 10,500 international athletes and 18,000 journalists.

Travel agents in Hong Kong, a major gateway into China, reported early this month that the government visa office had declared multiple-entry business visas would not be available from mid-April until mid-October. In the past, such visas were easily obtainable.

More rules came last week, including requirements for additional documentation for business visas and for hotel bookings and plane tickets for tourist visas.

Internet forums for travelers and Beijing residents are buzzing with complaints and tips on circumventing the rules. A popular site is The China Visa Blog, started by German businessman Juergen Weckherlin to help navigate the new rules.

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