On July 13, 2001 screams of joy echoed through Beijing as it was announced that the Chinese capital had won its bid to host the 2008 Olympics. It was a tight contest between three final contenders, Beijing, Paris and Toronto. The Olympic Games will bring many benefits to China, there's no doubt about this. But there will also be disadvantages for the country. Foreign journalists will be looking to shed more light on China's environmental problems, and human rights activists might use the Olympics as a stage for political protests.
Social and Economic Improvements
The most obvious benefit will be money, and there's going to be lots of it. Millions of tourism dollars will flow into hotels, restaurants and other cultural sites around Beijing. The city's infrastructure is improving steadily with a new underground transport network, several sports centres, a 160-acre Olympic Village and a new airport terminal. The new National Stadium, which has 80,000 seats, will be used for the opening and closing ceremonies. Foreign investment in Chinese companies will also undoubtedly increase. Looking beyond the economic advantages, one can see that athletes who will compete in Beijing will be exposed to a fascinating, ancient culture. The Olympics has also fostered co-operation and sportsmanship between competitors. Young Chinese volunteers will have the chance to interact with people from foreign countries, which will do much to boost their knowledge of other cultures. Chinese officials are making a sincere effort to make sure residents of Beijing behave appropriately before visitors and athletes arrive next August. Jumping the queue before boarding a bus is becoming less frequent, and if the police catch anybody spitting on the street they will be fined. Incidents of littering in public have also decreased.
Environmental and Political Issues
Beijing is a smoggy city, and this will be a problem for the athletes, especially when competing in endurance events. The government has moved several factories away from the city, but the air quality has not improved much. There are still almost three million automobiles in Beijing and huge amounts of dust from construction sites are released into the air. The paint used to colour the grass green in the city was seen as a cheap attempt to disguise Beijing's environmental woes. It might look good, but it's still artificial. The economic boom Beijing is experiencing has encouraged migrants from rural areas to seek work in the capital, which will lead to more sprawl, and the use of more cars. Potential sore spots for the ruling Communist Party are the human rights issues, particularly China's treatment of Falun Gong members, the state sanctioned death penalty, and the questions surrounding the independence of Tibet. Nobody knows if the local police will be able to keep a lid on any protests or demonstrations if they occur.
It seems to be a double-edged sword. Those who support the Games in Beijing believe China will further reform its political and environmental policies. China's leaders want to be taken seriously on the global stage and the Olympics is just the thing that's needed to hasten change.
Let's wait and see.
