China is winning the fight against doping in sport and plans to ramp up its efforts to ensure that local athletes stay clean for Beijing 2008 after they posted good results last year, Sports Minister Liu Peng said at a meeting with heads of provincial sports bureaus earlier this week.

"The positive rate for last year was less than 0.2 percent, which stands as a new low since China started carrying out doping tests," he said.

China conducted 8,856 tests on Chinese athletes last year and turned up 15 positives. It also carried out 1,382 tests on foreign athletes.

The number of tests has been greatly amplified since they began here in 1990, when 165 were administered.

Liu also stayed true to tune and downplayed talk of China outstripping the United States in the gold medal tally this summer.

He said heating up international competition was laying the groundwork for a tougher battle for all involved.

"Viewed from an international perspective, most countries are making more of an effort to prepare themselves thoroughly for the Olympic Games, and their competitive levels are on the rise.

"Although Chinese athletes are also making progress, there is still a big gap between us and other sporting powerhouses," he added.

Chinese athletes have begun to struggle at events they previously dominated, and a few minor breakthroughs in "new" sports do not mean China will medal in these areas at the Beijing Games, he said.

With almost seven months to go till the Games begins, China is still finalizing its Olympic squad and will not release a final list until close to the official deadline, he added.

Liu said he hoped to see the selection process performed in a transparent and impartial manner.

"No behind-the-scenes activities will be allowed," he said.

The local sports tsar stressed that, while winning medals is an over-riding goal at the Games, it is not the be-all and end-all - especially for the host nation.

"Chinese athletes are sports ambassadors and their ethics, manners and sporting spirit - as well as their competitive performances - will all fall under the glare of the world's media.

"They should aim to present a good image of the country, communicate more with other delegations and promote mass participation in sport as well as achieve good results."