It is the eve of the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games, and Beijing is preparing to welcome the world. Olympic banners and posters line the main avenues of the capital, and thousands of volunteers, brightly clad in blue, white and yellow shirts, fan out to the airport, hotels and subway stations to assist visitors. At the iconic National Stadium, dubbed the Bird's Nest because of its soaring latticework of steel supports, officials go through final preparations for the opening extravaganza directed by moviemaker Zhang Yimou, which will dazzle hundreds of millions of television viewers around theglobe. U.S. President George W. Bush and a host of other world leaders are arriving to take part in the festivities - and to acknowledge China's reemergence as a major economic and political power. After 30 years of breakneck development, China is ready and eager to claim its place on the world stage.
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