With the start of the Summer Olympics just 100 days away, authorities in Beijing are busy putting on a “good” face: teaching citizens “good” manners, gathering only “good-looking” volunteers and ensuring “good” air quality.

After all, image is all-important for a country hoping to gain a good reputation before the Games’ kick off at the numerically auspicious time of 8 p.m. on Aug. 8, 2008.

Chinese authorities are concerned about how its citizens behave and how the Beijing Olympics are managed. To improve people’s manners, the city has established an ethics development office.

Dubbed the Capital Spiritual Civilization Construction Commission, the office in March started a campaign telling people to observe traffic signals and drivers to stop their vehicles at pedestrian crosswalks.

Volunteers on the streets are awarding those who follow the rules with small commemorative gifts.

Zheng Mojie, deputy director of the office, is upbeat about the improved manners.

“Generally, there are no problems with citizens’ traffic manners,” Zheng says. “We could give them more than 90 points, but are aiming for the full mark of 100.”

But jaywalking is still common.

“It’s a habit of many years, so it takes time to change it,” says a 28-year-old woman on her way to work.

Zheng has a long-term dream: “We will continue (the campaign) after the Olympics, so this will someday be a city of good manners we can boast about to the world.”

The idea is familiar. When Tokyo hosted the Summer Games in 1964, the government called on people to improve their manners–although that’s not to say the Japanese capital today is a city of good behavior its citizens can take pride in.

Meanwhile, Beijing’s quest for a “good face” has drawn criticism.

Beijing Security Service General Co., which exclusively provides security for the Beijing organizing committee for the Games, has set appearance standards for all its recruits.

Guards must be at least 174 centimeters tall and good-looking, with no facial scars. They must also be able to speak English.

“It’s the same as for an airline cabin crew–good looks are important,” an official said.

Similar standards have been set for female volunteers, chosen mostly from among university students, who will help in medal presentation ceremonies.

The organizing committee says the women must “be stylish, aged 18 to 25 and 168 cm to 178 cm tall.”

Zhao Dongming, director of the Cultural Affairs Department of the Beijing Olympics organizing committee, created a stir last year by saying the committee would reject women who are not young, pretty and slender.

Human Rights Watch, a New York-based rights group, sent a protest letter to Zhao on Dec. 5.

Criticizing such requirements, Brad Adams, executive director of the group’s Asia Division, wrote that women must not be judged on appearances and observed that “similar requirements are often included in job ads in China.”

Committee officials, meanwhile, are sweating to ensure that the city offers smooth transportation during the Games, a point that will influence visitors’ opinions of the city.

At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, for example, bus drivers hired from outside added to the road congestion because they weren’t familiar with the city.

Even though Beijing is famous for its traffic jams, officials are confident that “no vehicle carrying Olympic-related people will get lost.”

Shuttle buses carrying athletes and officials will be steered by 12,000 drivers, including volunteers–all residents of the capital.

Further, the committee is training them in how to deal with varied road situations and the Olympics.

Beijing’s poor air quality presents another headache.

The authorities will restrict the use of vehicles and suspend factory operations during the Games.

Ji Lin, Beijing’s vice mayor, says party organizations will take the lead by not using up to 70 percent of their vehicles.

Nevertheless, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, the men’s world-record marathoner, has announced he will not run the 42.195-kilometer race in Beijing out of concerns about pollution.

The International Olympic Committee has recognized “a possible risk” for outdoor endurance events, leading the Chinese authorities to lose face.

China’s Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi is clearly frustrated.

“Many Chinese athletes have broken world records when competing in China,” he said at a news conference.

“I believe most athletes will be satisfied with the air quality, the environment and the sports facilities in Beijing.”