As mankind enters the new century, there is a consensus among all the people: It is time for Beijing to host the Olympic Games. It is time for the Olympic torch to light the Great Wall.
It is time for nearly 1. Tonight is also a night of celebration for the Olympic cause. Allowing the Olympic torch to light China is the best way to promote the globalization of the Olympic Games. An Olympic Games in the world's fastest-growing economy will create tremendous business opportunities, and will offer a rare chance for the IOC to strengthen its financial resources and to boost the world economy. And of course, no one can deny that when people from all parts of the world gather in Beijing, the interchange between the Chinese and Western cultures will be unprecedented in the history of human civilization.
When the Olympics embraces Beijing, both are winners. China will prove to the world the decision by the IOC at the beginning of the century is wise. We believe Beijing can give the world the best Olympic Games in history. The editorial thanks the trust of the International Olympic Committee IOC and the support of the overseas Chinese and the international society.
It recalls that late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping had suggested China bid for the Olympic Games as early as in , and that even the failure in did not damp the Chinese people's enthusiasm towards the Olympic Games. Today's China is enjoying unprecedented political stability, economic prosperity and ethnic harmony, while the city of Beijing is witnessing rapid development, with its environment improving and more and more sports facilities in place, the editorial says, adding that this has laid a solid foundation for a successful Olympic Games in Beijing.
The editorial notes that the holding of the Olympic Games in the world's most populous country will greatly help promote the Olympic spirit and exchanges between the Chinese and Western cultures.
China's fast-growing economy will also assure that an Olympic Games in Beijing will bring tremendous opportunities for businesses worldwide and greatly promote the development of world trade, says the editorial. It points out that hosting the Olympic Games will offer an important opportunity for China in the beginning of the new century, as it will greatly inspire the patriotism of the Chinese people and promote the rapid development of China's reform and opening-up and socialist modernization drive.
The editorial pledges that China will keep its promises in its bid and spare no efforts in its preparations to present the world with the best Olympic Games ever in history.
The attraction and far-reaching significance of staging the Games in a country which has the world's largest population, as well as huge economic potential, won the day. To most IOC members, Beijing's case for the Games is simple: China is home to a one-fifth of the world's population but never has hosted the Olympics.
It is a largely untapped market for the products of corporate sponsors. And it is also an international sports giant, finishing third in medals at last year's Sydney Games. Beijing had gained an clear lead over its close rivals in the IOC's May 15 evaluation report, and it never relinquished it. The report rated Beijing, Toronto and Paris offering "excellent bids" but pointed out a Beijing Games would "leave a unique legacy to China and to sport.
Canadian IOC member Dick Pound, an IOC presidency candidate who had kept himself from directly praising the Toronto bid, said after Friday's ballot that it was time for the Olympic movement to reach some of its own goals -- to "put sport at the service of mankind everywhere and maybe bring about some change. The Chinese capital submitted a solid bid which had the full backing of the Chinese government and its people.
And to the great disappointment of Toronto, Beijing didn't make a mistake. The center will be a venue for swimming, diving, synchronized swimming and water polo games during the Games. After the Games, the center will become a water recreation center for the public. Together, the two structures are the heart of the Games layout and reflect the Chinese philosophy of harmonious balance. The steel stadium is circular and red hued.
The water-covered swimming center is square and blue. Fire and water, masculine and feminine. An aerial photograph of the site reveals the two key Olympic venues forming a giant yin and yang symbol. The north-south city axis, which runs through Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Drum and Bell Towers, perfectly dissects the two modern landmarks, which are born from a mix of deep-rooted Chinese culture and free-flowing modern ideas.
Environmentally friendly technology and materials have been used to construct the new venues and 69 new energy "schemes" have been implemented, including the use of solar, geothermal, waste water, wind and other sources. Of the 31 Beijing venues, 12 are new, 11 are older buildings being refurbished and eight are temporary structures.
Tourism The number of tourists in Beijing has risen rapidly, a result of the increased visibility that the Olympics bring to the host country. Economic development The huge inflows of investment to support the Olympics and recreate Beijing have had an important ripple effect on economic growth, not simply in Beijing but in areas surrounding the capital. Not all is rosy Though preparations for the Beijing Olympics have gone well, has been a difficult year for China so far, tarnishing the games in some instances and making the environment in which they will be held much more challenging.
Lingering effects Though the expected economic downturn following the Beijing Olympics in August and the Paralympics in September will likely occur—particularly in the advertising sector—it will be minor and short-lived. Lee M. Sands is managing director of Sierra Asia Partners in Beijing. Next Post. From Reshoring to Rightshoring: Dr. Latest Podcasts. A look at export data to China at the Congressional district level November 5, What falling bilateral tech FDI means for companies October 26, October 7, How to contribute to China Business Review.
Join our Mailing List. Sign up for the US-China Business Council's newsletters to stay ahead of the game with roundups, analysis, and commentary. Sign Up. Follow Us. While China seems unlikely to even pay lip service to the idea of liberalization this time around, foreign governments will also be far more skeptical of any possible gains, after patting themselves on the back ahead of only to be embarrassed when few of the supposed concessions were realized.
The IOC, for its part, is not pretending these Games stand a chance of influencing China's political philosophy. Mueller, the Tibet activist, said this was typical of the IOC: "The narrative changes according to the circumstances. Back then, they said the Olympics would open the door to change More Videos Olympic Winter Games Is China ready?
New challenge. While it made nominal concessions to critics ahead of , Beijing is unlikely to repeat this, said Jude Blanchette, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Nor is China in the same place economically. While definitely a major player in , China was still an emerging economy of sorts, whereas now it is a global behemoth, challenging the US for the title of largest economy in the world.
In recent years, Xi's Belt and Road Initiative, as well as trade deals with the European Union and across Asia, have tied the global economy ever more tightly to Beijing. This could be a boon for Beijing's attempts to stave off any significant boycott. Nick Marro, an analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, pointed out that "many developing nations haven't been as vocal around Xinjiang as we've seen in the West," as emerging markets remain "keen to continue attracting Chinese investment.
Kassam, the Lowy analyst, said a formal boycott will be difficult for many countries, given the expected blowback from Beijing, while companies that publicly refuse to sponsor the Games will essentially be writing off the Chinese market.
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