In terms of the number of Olympic medals it has won, China is undoubtedly a sporting power to be reckoned with. That it has never hosted an Olympic Games appears out of sync with its status in the international sports arena. But such a lapse is less a reflection on China's athletic prowess and more a comment on its deviation from international norms.
"New Beijing, New Olympics" is the ubiquitous slogan in China's capital, which is bidding once again to host the Games, this time in 2008. The city has temporarily closed down polluting factories in order to improve its air quality, painted its winter-browned grass green and even given taxi drivers compulsory lessons in basic English -- all in the hope that the International Olympic Committee representatives now visiting will leave with a good impression and a willingness to vote for Beijing's bid.
Despite the impressive clean-up efforts, Beijing seems to have missed the point when it comes to one key concern of Western countries. Beijing lost its bid to host the 2000 Games to Sydney back in 1993 primarily because of the international boycott against China over its brutal crackdown on the 1989 Tiananmen demonstrations. Just before the IOC made its final decision on those games, the US Congress passed a resolution against China hosting the Olympics. Even though a congressional resolution has no impact on the IOC, it did reflect the general atmosphere in the international community at the time.
The stumbling blocks on China's path to the the 2008 Games remain the same: its problems in abiding by the civilized norms of the international community. China's continuous human rights violations -- most recently its crackdown on Falun Gong
People who advocate a strategy of "containment" toward China warn of a repeat of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, which catapulted Adolf Hitler onto the international stage, improved the Nazi Party's image both at home and abroad and, in a way, encouraged the militaristic nation's march toward war.
But those who advocate a strategy of "engage-ment" believe hosting the Olympics will encourage China to behave in accordance with international norms. They cite South Korea's release of 2,000 political prisoners, including now President Kim Dae-jung, before the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
To host the Olympics, China will have to abide by the spirit and regulations of the games. In this sense, playing host may encourage China to loosen its heavy-handed rule, undertake a certain level of political and social reforms and ease its military threats toward Taiwan and other neighbors.
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) made it clear quite a while ago that Taiwan would be happy to see Beijing play host and he did not rule out the possibility of the two sides of the Strait co-hosting the Games. Though such an idea is incompatible with IOC rules, we would be happy to see the international community handle China from an such engagement perspective -- both over the Olympics issue and its WTO entry.
In regards to reports that China may be willing to let the Olympic torch come to Taipei if it were to host, we welcome such a move as long as it is a goodwill gesture in recognition of Taiwan and as long as it is meant to ease tensions across the Strait. But if it is aimed at making Taiwan appear to be just another Chinese province in the eyes of the international community, then forget it.
If, however, Beijing's bid fails, China should not look to place the blame on others, but instead show its much vaunted "maturity" by engaging in its favorite pastime -- self-criticism -- to ponder what it must do better in order to succeed.
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