AN ENTIRE steelworks is being moved out of Beijing. Three new underground lines and an airport are being built. Millions of the capital’s residents are being taught English, good manners and not to spit.

China’s Communist leaders even plan to tame nature to ensure that the 2008 Olympics, which start two years from today, mark a spectacular coming-of-age celebration for the nation.

Beijing will open China’s first Olympic Games on what numerologists hold to be perhaps the most auspicious moment of the year — 8pm on the eighth day of the eighth month.

The ancient capital is in the throes of one of the most sweeping transformations ever of a cityscape.

China wants to show the world the achievements of its capitalist-style economic reforms and modernisation.

Liu Qi, the president of the Beijing Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (Bocog) and the city’s top party official, said at the weekend: “By the end of next year all competition venues will be in place for the test events.”

That includes 12 new venues such as the innovative national stadium — known as the “Bird’s Nest” because of its external mesh of girders that cradles seating for 100,000 people.

Three new subway lines are being built at a cost of $500 million (£260 million) along with a railway line to the airport that will be completed only a week before the start.

The cost of the Olympic stadiums other facilities is $1.65 billion, of which $500 million will be spent on the bird’s nest alone. The total price tag of the Games, with all the construction, will be $40 billion.

Building a string of venues in a new park in the shape of a dragon on the “dragon’s vein” that geomancers believe runs along the city’s north-south axis is the least of the challenges facing Bocog. The games will be held in August, the hottest, wettest and often among the most polluted months. Officials have promised to ensure that the athletes breathe clean air.

It is proving a costly task.

Beijing Shougang (Capital Iron and Steel), China’s fourth-largest steelmaker, is to move. By 2008, Shougang will have halved annual production to four million tonnes as part of its relocation to the coast.

The huge factory — its smokestacks have belched fumes since 1919 — will close. Most other such industries are likely to follow suit. A 42-year-old coking plant was ordered to close last month. Two natural gas pipelines have been laid to replace coal-burning plants.

People’s Liberation Army planes and a network of volunteer farmers will fire rain-making chemicals into the clouds. Many petrol stations will close. Industrial spraying and painting will be prohibited to reduce toxic odours. All this is to help Beijing try to meet its goal of 238 blue-sky days this year. The target for 2008 is 292.

Mr Liu said: “There is still a distance from our goal of a ‘green Olympics’ so we have to step up our efforts in the next two years.” Beijing is to spend about $13 billion cleaning up the skies that make the city one of the world’s most polluted capitals. The city’s 2.6 million cars spend hours in traffic jams. By 2008, 3.5 million cars are expected to be running on the streets. Officials plan to create special Olympic lanes on city roads to ensure smooth travel for athletes and tourists. The Government is also likely to ban most private vehicles from the capital’s streets.

With warnings sometimes issued against going outdoors because of the pollution, it is hard to imagine a blue-sky zone within two years. Tall building were obscured yesterday — the smog was so thick.

The number of rubbish bins will be increased by 10,000 in 2008 from 15,371 now. Virtually every household has received a pamphlet on good manners that includes such tips as not to gesture with chopsticks, not to eat pumpkin seeds at sports events and not to drink coffee from the spoon.

The city has increased the fine for spitting in public tenfold to £3.50. Volunteers in uniforms printed with the word “mucus” will hand out bags to anyone needing to clear their throat. Teams are teaching commuters to form queues at bus stops.

The China Daily said in a commentary: “Nobody doubts Beijing’s capacity to have all sports venues and other facilities ready by 2008. The only question is whether the service will complement the fancy infrastructure.”

Some ideas for Ken from Beijing's blue-sky thinking

How Ken Livingstone must envy the ability of Beijing’s authorities to ride roughshod over public opinion. Damian Whitworth speculates on what he might like to do to London before the 2012 Olympics: