BEIJING, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Sending a clean team to the Beijing Olympic Games, China is facing a determined-to-win but difficult battle.

Some 200 days to the opening of the Beijing Games, a senior China anti-doping official let out his concern during their efforts to keep the Chinese athletes from doping.

"It is an Olympic Games on home soil. It will be more difficult in terms of doping control," said Jiang Zhixue, head of Science and Education department of the State General Administration of Sport (SGAS). Science and Education Department is in charge of doping control of Chinese athletes in the Chinese sports governing body.

"If the athletes go abroad for competition, language barrier and strange environment will work against their desire to dope if there is any. But once they competing at home, there are so many things and people that can influence them, which is bad news from our point of view," Jiang explained.

"It doesn't mean the familiar environment and their friends, relatives or coaches will give them any help. It is just that there is room for possible loopholes in terms of doping control," he added.

"We are going to try our best. We are determined to catch those who dare to cheat and won't hesitate to punish them," Jiang said.

"But first of all, we need to do everything to prevent," Jiang said.

China has been increasing the number of tests, from 165 in 1989 to last year's 9,424 with 74 percent conducted out of competition.

As the Olympic Games is drawing closer, China made even bigger steps in their fight against doping, especially in 2007.

At the beginning of the year, SGAS signed agreements with provincial sport bureaus to hold them responsible if athletes from their provinces are tested positive in doping tests.

China's fight against doping also got strong backing from the central government. (By Sportswriter Ma Xiangfei)

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