CHINA: Beijing releases the official Olympic theme song for the 2008 games.

Beijing is ready, so the song says. Over 130 Chinese artists from across Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong have added their voice to China's new Olympic song. "We Are Ready", Beijing's new Olympic song, was released on Saturday (August 4) to mark a year to go before the Games open there in 2008. Since winning the Olympic bid in 2001, Beijing has been planning, preparing and training to make the 2008 Games, which will open on August 8, the best so far. Beijing citizens have been practising their English, queueing behaviour and refraining from spitting in preparation for the influx of international tourists next August. "'We Are Ready', this is not only the name of a song, it is also what every Beijing resident and every Chinese person should be saying on August 8, 2007. We have have used this song to describe to the whole of China and the whole of the world, Beijing's spirit at this special time," said Ke Kan, Deputy Director of BOCOG Culture and Ceremonies Department. Olympic fever is mounting as the year long countdown draws near. Contributing artists will perform this song in a specially organised One-year-to-go concert in Tiananmen Square on Wednesday (August 8). Over 130 singers from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan contributed to this piece to make it the most participated song over the past two decades. The song was written and composed by two Hong Kong musicians Peter Cam and Keith Chan.

ITN Source | August 5, 2007

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