The Games-time volunteers will be about 70,000 for the Beijing Olympic Games and 30,000 for the Beijing Paralympic Games. According to the General Policy for Volunteers for the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, most volunteers will be recruited in the Beijing area, colleges providing the majority of them, while some will come from the rest of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Overseas Chinese and foreigners will also be recruited.

As planned, volunteer recruitment in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and in overseas areas will start in March, 2007. Recruitment-related arrangements are as follows:

Ⅰ. Recruitment Office

Under the guidance of BOCOG and the Beijing Olympic Games Volunteer Work Coordination Group, the Beijing Olympic Games Coordination Groups of Volunteer Recruitment in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and in overseas areas were established to deal with recruitment applications in collaboration with the respective local authorities delegated to do the work.

The volunteer recruitment in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and among overseas Chinese (including students studying abroad) and foreigners has been respectively entrusted to the Hong Kong SAR Home Affairs Bureau, Macao Sport Development Board, Beijing Olympic Games Taiwan Compatriot Volunteer Recruitment Center, Beijing Olympic Games Overseas Chinese Volunteer Recruitment Center and Beijing Olympic Games Foreign Volunteer Recruitment Center. Except for Hong Kong and Macao, the other three centers are located in Beijing.

II. Volunteer Requirement and Number

Volunteers should meet the following basic requirements set forth in the General Policy for Volunteers for the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games. They should

1) be able to serve voluntarily for the Beijing Olympic and/or Paralympic Games;

2) have been born prior to (or on) June 30, 1990, and be in good health;

3) be willing to abide by China's laws and regulations;

4) be able to participate in the pre-Games trainings and other required activities;

5) be able to serve continuously for more than seven days during the Olympic and/or Paralympic Games;

6) be able to hold a conversation in basic Mandarin, if their first language is not Mandarin; native Mandarin speakers should be able to communicate in at least one important foreign language;

7) possess the professional knowledge and skills necessary for their posts.

Applicants fluent in both English and Mandarin and competent in a special area will be given priority, especially those who can speak minor languages and are skillful in certain trades.

The number of volunteers from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas areas depends on the number of applications and the need of the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games.