China's Games party set for "Big bang" start

By Andrew Cawthorne

BEIJING (Reuters) - China stages the most expensive opening ceremony in Olympic history on Friday, keen to put the world spotlight on its modern face and the sports action after a build-up that fired up the Communist government's critics.

Guests in the head-turning "Bird's Nest" Olympic stadium will include U.S. President George W. Bush, who flew in straight after making his bluntest comments yet on rights in a nation many view as likely to rival his own for global hegemony this century.

China hopes media attention on issues like its rule of Tibet will end at 8 p.m. on the eighth day of the eighth month -- the number symbolises fortune here -- when the Olympic extravaganza starts before an estimated global audience of one billion.

Displaying its new economic clout, China has invested $43 billion (22.1 billion pounds) on the Games -- dubbed the greatest show on earth. Some $100 million, twice the 2004 Athens bill, has gone on what are set to be spectacular "Big bang" opening and closing ceremonies.

Small groups of foreign protesters have popped up in Beijing this week, but have been whisked off quickly by police forming part of a 100,000-strong security force that China has deployed in the capital to deter terrorists or demonstrators.

Suspected Islamist separatists killed 16 policemen in western China on Monday, and on Thursday two U.S.-based firms that monitor statements from militants quoted a little-known Islamist group as threatening attacks against the Games.

A video dated August 1 carried pictures of the Beijing Olympics logo in flames and a speaker holding an AK-47 assault rifle and wearing a face mask, said one firm, the SITE Intelligence Group.

In July, Chinese authorities denied claims by the Turkistan Islamic Party that it was behind a series of bombings ahead of the Olympics. Beijing has also issued statements this week that it was confident it could ensure a peaceful Games.