New U.S. Embassy To Open During Olympics Opening Day

July 26, 2008 7:36 a.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The U.S. Department of State said Friday that a new U.S. Embassy building complex will open in Beijing, China on Aug. 8, the opening day of the 2008 Olympic Games.

The new Beijing New Embassy Compound sits on a 10-acre lot by the LiangMa River and northeast of the Forbidden City in Beijing's Third Diplomatic Enclave, in the Liang Ma He neighborhood, according to a statement from the agency.

The NEC has five buildings, with the eight-story chancery building as the centerpiece. The embassy is the second largest overseas construction project of the Department of State cost $434 million.

Currently, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing consists of buildings on three distinct compounds with some agencies located at various commercial spaces around the capital. The embassy does not meet functional, life-safety, or security standards so it will be replaced by the bigger and more secure NEC.

The NEC will house 950 embassy workers and 20 federal agencies in one compound. In addition, the larger facility will handle the increased demand for consular services in Beijing.

President Bush, who will attend the Beijing Olympics, is expected to inaugurate the NEC during his visit.