The city's sports authority contacted International Association of Athletics Federations officials at the World Championships in Berlin last month to make them aware of their interest.
 
The world governing body will soon come to check facilities, probably in October, Beijing Sports Bureau chief Sun Kanglin said.
 

The National Stadium - known universally as the "Bird's Nest" -  has not staged any athletics event since last year's Summer Games.

 

Sun said the opportunity to host the event would not only move Beijing towards its goal of becoming an international sports centre but would also reflect China's rising stature as a global sporting and economic power.
 

The biennial event has never come to China but other Asian cities have played host to it, including the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan.
 

The 2011 event will be in Daegu, South Korea and the 2013 World Championships in Moscow.