SPORTS | Striving for excellence
16 April 2008
Olympic Ideals and World Realities
China faces challenges hosting the Olympic Games
By Charlene Porter
Close to 11,000 athletes will flock to Beijing for the 2008 Olympics in the months ahead, hoping to do their best to live up to the Olympic motto “faster, higher, stronger.” At the same time, proponents of very different causes -- including increased human rights, open media, and environmental quality in China -- will also be competing for the world’s attention.
The Olympic Games are set to open in Beijing August 8, the first time the summer event has been held in East Asia since the 1988 games in Seoul. Since being named the host city for the games in 2001 by the International Olympic committee, the Chinese have been working to welcome the world to their capital.
Their efforts have been trailed by a chorus of questions -- from non-governmental organizations, human rights activists, and even some governments -- about the readiness of the city and the nation to host a global event which in many ways has come to symbolize humanity’s highest aspirations. Does the Chinese human rights record cloud its qualifications to host this event? At a March ceremony in Greece to mark the lighting of the Olympic flame, protests of China’s policy overshadowed the event itself. As the flame stopped in various cities, its arrival was met with celebration by some, and indignation from others opposed to Beijing serving as the host city. How often might that happen as the date of the games approach?
The protests and marches focus negative media attention on China, a government still considered an authoritarian state, according to the State Department’s report on human rights released in March 2008. “The government tightened restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, particularly in anticipation of and during sensitive events,” said the report.
Thousands of media representatives will be in China for the Olympics Games. If they are subjected to restrictions on access and reporting, then China could fall at odds with its major partner in the sponsorship of the games, the International Olympic Committee, which is committed to an open media environment by its governing charter. “The IOC takes all necessary steps in order to ensure the fullest coverage by the different media and the widest possible audience in the world for the Olympic Games,” according to the IOC charter.
In a statement issued prior to the flame-lighting ceremony in Greece, IOC President Jacques Rogge placed this longstanding commitment to open media in the context of the controversy that began in March with clashes between Tibetans and Chinese authorities.
“We believe that China will change by opening the country to the scrutiny of the world through the 25,000 media who will attend the Games.” he said. “The Olympic Games are a force for good. They are a catalyst for change, not a panacea for all ills.”
China has been working toward change in various areas during its years of preparations for the games. Poor air quality and other environmental problems raised questions about Beijing’s suitability as a host city from the time of selection. In response, the city has been on a steady track to adopt more sound environmental policies in the midst of a break-neck gallop toward economic growth. With technical assistance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, China has worked to improve conditions and create a green Olympics, investing $120 billion in the effort, according to China Central Television.
The IOC has also been monitoring the Beijing environment and its potential impact on athlete performance. A March 2008 IOC announcement based on athlete performance data collected in Beijing in August 2007 found that “the health of athletes was largely not impaired.”
Despite these efforts, some athletes have expressed concern about how poor air quality could impair their performance, and odds-makers aren’t looking for record-setting performances in Beijing.
Mounting public attention to this array of controversies is making its way to the highest political levels in some nations. A few Western leaders have announced they’ll not attend the opening ceremonies. Others reject attempts to link politics and sporting events.
As this publication goes to press, four months before the games, we can’t know what will happen before the August opening day. Despite the questions and the uncertainties, we continue to hope that the Chinese organizers welcome the world to Beijing in the Olympic spirit and that the athletes will get their chance to shine upon the world stage.
The organizing committee for the Beijing Games summarizes this spirit with the motto “One World One Dream.” According to the host committee’s explanation of the motto “In spite of the differences in colors, languages and races, we share the charm and joy of the Olympic Games, and together we seek for the ideal of Mankind for peace. We belong to the same world and we share the same aspirations and dreams.”
