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Guangzhou will spend more than 2 billion yuan (US$240 million) on the construction and renovation of sports venues for the Asian Games in 2010, while direct Games-related investment is around 4 billion yuan.

Private investors will be encouraged to come up with about 2 billion yuan for the construction of the athletes' village, a city government conference was told Saturday.

Gan Xin, director general of the Guangzhou Development and Planning Commission, said Guangzhou needed to establish five to six venues and renovate 50 venues in the coming years in preparation for the Games.

Guangzhou had initially chosen two plots of land in eastern and southern areas for the construction of the athletes' village. In the next six years, the city government will spend nearly 100 billion yuan on infrastructure projects. The total length of Metro lines is expected to reach 250 kilometers by 2010.

Hong Kong may host some of the Games events, providing significant business opportunities for Hong Kong tourism and service sectors.

Gan said this was possible but the final decision rested with the Central Government and Asian Olympic Committee.

"We want to make the 2010 Asian Games the biggest ever. We are planning to add new sports to the Games. If conditions are ripe, of course we can hold some of the events in Hong Kong," Gan said.

Gan believed the Games would bring substantial opportunities for Hong Kong businesses.

"Our initial estimate shows that about 400,000 foreign visitors will attend the Asian Games. Most of them will come to the mainland via Hong Kong," he said.

He said many visitors from northern mainland provinces would also likely take the opportunity to visit Hong Kong.

Gan said Guangzhou would draw on Hong Kong's experience in brand management, finance, logistics and catering in preparation for the Games.

Editor: Catherine