Special report: 2008 Olympic Games

MADRID, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Eleven major Chinese government departments have combined in an effort to combat doping more effectively, a top Chinese sports official said here on Friday.

Duan Shijie, vice director of the State Sports Administration of China (SSAC), said at the World Conference on Doping in Sport that a coordination group of anti-doping had been founded in China, which is chaired by SSAC director Liu Peng.

According to Duan, it also consists of experts and officials from other ministries including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Information Industry, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Health, China Customs, the State Industrial and Commercial Bureau, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the State Food and Drug Administration, and the Legislative Office of the State Council, as well as BOCOG.

"We are aware that effective doping control is not confined within the sport arena, but needs the efforts by all government and social departments as well as cooperation from the international community," said Duan, also the deputy director of the coordination group.

"That's why we got the idea of such a group which could better serve anti-doping fights with support from and cooperation between different departments."

In August this year, the State Councilor of China Chen Zhili convened and hosted a meeting, discussing methods to implement the international convention and regulations and to clean the epidemic in sport.

The meeting was attended by representatives from all the 11 ministries, which paved the way to the coordination scheme.

Duan also highlighted China's other achievements in fights against doping including the recent foundation of an independent National Anti-Doping Agency.

"With a total of 60 working staff, this independent agency will further improve China's anti-doping work," he said.

China conducted 9428 tests on its athletes in 2006 and the total number of tests is expected to exceed 10,000.

"About 60% of the tests are out-of-competition and without advance notice. Elite athletes from high-risk sports are our major testing targets," he said.

The Chinese also made brief introduction of the progress in anti-doping work for the Beijing Olympics.

"The number of tests for the 2008 Olympic Games will total more than 4500. A new laboratory with a total area of 5500 square meters will soon be operational," he said.

"The Chinese Anti-Doping Organization and BOGOC will make joint efforts to cooperate with the IOC and WADA to make this Olympic Games a clean one."