BEIJING, April 22 -- Despite the frequent sandstorms that have hit China's capital Beijing this spring, Chinese forestry officials say they are still confident that the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing will be a Green Olympics.

    They announced that re-forestation efforts have been intensified in and around Beijing to create a better environment for the Games.

    At least ten sandstorms have struck northern China since February this year, which caused large economic losses as well as some casualties. And Beijing, which neighbors the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, a major source of the sandstorm problem in China, has suffered its most serious air pollution in the past five years.

    With the 2008 Olympic Games approaching, many people are beginning to worry if the sandstorms will affect the Games. Liu Tuo, an official with China's State Forestry Administration, says he firmly believes that the ideal of a Green Olympics can be realized.

    "The Olympic Games are scheduled for August, when sandstorms seldom happen in Beijing. What's more, a re-forestation project has been launched in sand-prone areas in China, such as Inner Mongolia. We expect these forests and grasslands to play an important roles in the year 2008."

    Liu Tuo further explains that higher temperatures and less rainfall in northern China, together with frequent cold air flows from Siberia are to blame for this year's more frequent severe sandstorms.

    He says Chins is continuously increasing the coverage of forest and grass so as to reduce the sand which is the source of these storms.

    Meanwhile, 50 to 60 percent of the sandstorms which hit Beijing originate from places outside Beijing and even outside China. Liu Tuo says that the Chinese government will take effective measures to cooperate with other countries to tackle the problem.

    "China will strengthen international cooperation in this field and take measures against overgrazing, over-logging and over collection of fire wood in the desert area. And we'll try our best to honor the promise that all the country's desertified land can be reclaimed by 2050."

    However desertification prevention and treatment will be a difficult, long-term task for China as deserts account for 18 percent of China's land area. Though sandstorms, as a natural disaster, are to some extent unavoidable, officials say China will carry out the work to improve the environment, not only for to achieve a Green Olympics but also for a brighter future under blue skies.