It is our great honor to host the XIV Biennial Meeting of the Society for Free Radical Research International in Beijing in the year of 2008 (October 18-22)! China has been very active in the area of free radical research and an increasing number of scholars and students in the scientific community have become attracted to research on free radical biology and medicine. This has lead to many reports on biological free radicals, the effects of antioxidants on gene expression and signal transduction, and numerous reports at conferences and papers in this field have been published in international journals. The Commission for Free Radical Biology and Medicine of the Biophysical Society of China has successfully organized four International Natural Antioxidant Symposiums in 1988, 1995, 2001 in Beijing and in 2005 in Shanghai, the latter was held jointly with the 2nd Symposium of SFRR-Asia. We plan to organize one of the best Biennial Meetings of the Society for Free Radical Research International in 2008 in Beijing. As you know, Beijing is one of China's most ancient cities and oldest capitals. More than 3,000 years old, the city has a unique history and a rich cultural heritage. There are many world-renowned historical sites in and around the city, including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace. The city is now the political, economic and cultural center of modern China. In the last 20 years, China has become one of the fastest developing countries in the world. China's politics are stable, its economy is growing rapidly, the social environment is safe, and living standards have been quickly improving. At present, the state government is making great efforts to help Beijing become the perfect city for the Olympic Games. More buildings are being constructed and the city's infrastructure is being modernized to meet the needs of holding the Olympic Games in Beijing as well as make the city look more beautiful.