Beijing officials to sweep streets

The city of Beijing will kick off a spring cleanup campaign on Thursday, urging all officials to set an example by getting involved in street cleaning.

Officials from the "four bodies" – the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, Beijing Municipal People's Congress, Beijing Government and Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference - have been asked to engage in the sprucing up for a fresher May Day holiday, said Xie Guoming, spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Commission of City Administration and Environment, at a press conference Thursday.

A secret assessment of the cleaning performances of 16 counties and districts will later be made public, said Xie.

The cleaning campaign will address problems involving garbage heaps, outdoor exposure of garbage, animal waste, white pollution, bill posters, etc.

To meet the demands of increased tourism during the holiday, portable toilets will be added in the Tiananmen Square. Underground restrooms in the National Museum will also be open to the public during the holiday period.

There will also be a crackdown on unlicensed tour programs and tour guides around the square, according to Beijing Daily.