BEIJING, June 11 (Xinhua) -- China launched a series of anti-terrorist drills at the national level on Wednesday to ensure security for the upcoming Beijing Olympics.

Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu announced the commencement of the drills, dubbed "Great Wall 5," at the national anti-terrorist command center.

The drills will include missions to deal with a chemical attack, hijacking athletes' buses and other possible contingencies.

The first drill was at the Chaoyang Park for Olympic Beach Volleyball venue Wednesday afternoon as firemen, police and other security personnel evacuated spectators and dealt with an imaginary chemical blast.

Within eight minutes, more than 400 spectators were evacuated to safe locations and dangerous chemicals were contained. Professional forces cleaned up the chemicals in less than one hour, making the drill a success.