China will spend more on infrastructure this year in preparation for the 2008 Olympics.

Beijing's Planning and Construction Committee announced that its infrastructure budget for 2007 would total $2.9 billion, a 15 percent increase over last year, the China Daily and other newspapers said Saturday.

More than a quarter of the money will be spent on transportation and other infrastructure around the city's 31 Olympic venues, the reports said.

Beijing organizers have said a total of approximately $40 billion will be spent on venues, transport, urban renewal, environmental protection and other projects for the 2008 Olympics.

Chai Xiaozhong, a vice director of Beijing's economic planning agency, said the city would meet its goal of finishing construction of all Olympic venues by the end of 2007.