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PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND THE BEIJING OLYMPICS: NARRATIVES AND COUNTER NARRATIVES
OCT 8, 2008 - 10:26AM PDT
by Meg Young
The overall narrative for these Olympics seems somewhat ambivalent: “they were a rousing success, but...” But they could only take place in a totalitarian country where the government can direct resources at will towards any national project. But the protest zones were left empty and some of those wanting to protest were arrested after they filed their paperwork. But…But…But…
These codas marring an otherwise perfect Olympic performance may trouble a few perfection-seeking souls in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) but the overall public diplomacy impact of China’s Olympics seems to have been positive. International audiences did not learn much more beyond what they already knew about issues most sensitive to the CCP, particularly the Tibet situation: namely, that it is bad, and that China should “Free Tibet,” but quite why or how remained unclear through most of the international press’ reporting. However, these same audiences learned a lot more about the rest of China from a variety of trusted and familiar sources: local news anchors, bloggers, newspaper writers, and national news reporters. They saw snippets on unusual Chinese food and heard about amazing cultural sites. They were bombarded with images of a clean and modern Beijing, and they saw a world-class event pulled off without a hitch.
This CPD Media Monitor followed the media coverage surrounding the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China from April to September 2008. The Monitor sought to highlight the narrative differences between the English-language Chinese press, particularly the government run news outlet Xinhua, and the international English-language press. By providing a comparison between the official Chinese Olympic narrative and the international media’s Olympic narrative, the Beijing Olympics Media Monitor provided a look at China’s effort at public diplomacy through the Olympics. Sometimes the local coverage and the international coverage converged, as it frequently did on stories about the spectacle of the Olympics and the rich culture of China, and at times the coverage diverged, particularly on issues related to human rights and media openness.
The Beijing Olympics Media Monitor focused on five main areas of interest:
Human Rights Local News Coverage / International News Coverage;
Environmental Issues Local News Coverage / International News Coverage;
Culture Local News Coverage / International News Coverage;
Chinese Power Local News Coverage / International News Coverage;
Media Local News Coverage / International News Coverage.
Each of these subjects saw narratives emerge in the international press that were both favorable to and highly critical of China. The official Chinese press, on the other hand, always sought to put the best spin possible on any given issue. Through the course of the coverage it seemed clear that the strict narrative of the Chinese government would not be the story told by the international press regardless of how much the government tried to control press access to locations, the internet, or even at times their equipment. Whether or not the Chinese government’s narrative was the one the world heard seems, ultimately, to have mattered very little because at the end of the 2008 Olympic season the world’s knowledge of China had grown exponentially.
For the entire month of August it seemed that every subject imaginable could be tied to the Olympic Games and to China. Energy issues, algae blooms, air pollution, Coca-Cola, Darfur, doping, and pandas all found their way into Olympic coverage and all helped to tell the story of an emerging world power with a lot of problems and a great deal of clout. More than ever before China was on everyone’s mind. The sheer volume and variety of coverage, from long form news pieces on television and radio, to commercials using Chinese images to sell products to Westerners, make it impossible to say one story or one image won the day. In the run up to the Games the people of the world were introduced to China as a complex country. They heard about its human rights abuses, and its modern cities; they read about its environmental problems, and its many different minorities; they saw images of extraordinary wealth and simple rural life.
Through the broad ranging media coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games, China became much more than pandas, ping-pong, and the Great Wall. It became a real place, with real problems and real people. The story that emerged in Chinese media of a modern, vibrant, growing, culturally rich nation was echoed by the international media. Western news sources, particularly American broadcaster NBC noted China’s modernity, its development over the past thirty years, and the rich cultural tapestry of an ancient land. However, while the international press rarely missed an opportunity to report on issues of restricted protest rights, limited media access, and anything having to do with Tibet, the official Chinese press unfailingly down-played these difficult issues, vilified the subjects of such articles, or simply ignored the stories.
Nevertheless, the positive cultural narrative assiduously fostered by official Chinese media helped soften the truthful but harsh critiques of its Olympic policies and practices and may have created a context to better understand China, its people, and its policies. It is this very notion of improving cultural understanding that successful public diplomacy is all about. If China managed to facilitate a greater appreciation of its complex identity during the Olympics that is independent of any particular domestic or foreign policy practice, then it has arguably laid the foundation for greater public acceptance of Chinese policies in the future.
Selection of media coverage appears below in categories.
Human Rights – Local
Immigrators embrace Beijing Olympic torch with enthusiasm
(XinHua, 15 Jun 2008)
Immigrators from the Three Gorges region celebrated the Beijing Olympic torch relay with enthusiasm when it kicked off in heavy rains in Wanzhou, Chongqing, Southwestern China Sunday morning.
Why Washington plays 'Tibet Roulette' with China
(China Daily, 16 Apr 2008)
Washington has obviously decided on an ultra-high risk geopolitical game with Beijing's by fanning the flames of violence in Tibet just at this sensitive time in their relations and on the run-up to the Beijing Olympics.
China rights group disputes Amnesty International report
(China Daily, 2 Apr 2008)
The China Society for Human Rights Studies on Wednesday criticized Amnesty International's comments on the country's human rights record in the run-up to the Olympics. "We firmly oppose attempts by any organization to slander and attack China under the pretense of human rights, and firmly oppose the attempts by any organization to put pressure on China using the Olympics," the Chinese rights group said in a statement.
Chinese Canadians protest against Tibet riots, media's distorted coverage
(XinHua, 15 Apr 2008)
Some 10,000 Chinese Canadians and Chinese students held a rally in Ottawa Sunday to voice anger at Tibetan separatists' violence in Lhasa and western media's distorted coverage.
Tibet regional chairman: Tibet people real beneficiaries of reform, development
(XinHua, 10 Apr 2008)
People of various nationalities living in Tibet have benefited from reform and development, said Qiangba Puncog, chairman of the Tibet autonomous regional government, here on Wednesday.
Beijing Olympic official strongly condemns disruption of torch relay in Paris
(XinHua, 9 Apr 2008)
A Beijing Olympic official has strongly condemned the disruption of the Olympic torch relay in Paris by a very small number of "Tibet independence" secessionists and a handful of so-called human rights-minded NGO activists.
What issue is "Tibet issue"?
(People's Daily, 15 Apr 2008)
Dalai Lama clique has made repeated appeals and statements to impose pressure or punitive measues upon China, and Nancy Pelosi of the United States and others of her ilk also kept up noises and uproars. Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, and the European Parliament (EP) have passed resolutions on Tibet one after another. So the so-called "Tibet issue" has become increasingly fashionable.
Tibet regional chairman: Situation in Tibet returns to normal
(People's Daily, 10 Apr 2008)
The head of Tibet Autonomous Regional government says the situation in Tibet has returned to normal after the riot of March 14th. Qiangba Puncog made the remarks today in Beijing, during a news conference on the situation in Tibet.
Pranks cannot resist the brilliance of Olympic sacred fire
(People's Daily, 10 Apr 2008)
With the blessing of the entire world, the sacred Olympic flame is being relayed by thousands of torchbearers across five continents. As the supreme image of Olympic spirit, the torch carries a shared dream of the humankind. Through its relay, people of different races in different regions with different beliefs share the civilized concepts of"peace, friendship and progress". It is also precisely for this reason that the 2008 torch relay has been welcomed and supported by nations and their populace in its global journey.
Commentary: Prejudice cannot take the place of facts
(CCTV, 9 Apr 2008)
As the truth about Lhasa riots has been brought to light and the violence by Tibet separatists came under condemnation of international community, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others have proposed a resolution, urging the Chinese government to "end its crackdown" in Tibet and "enter into a substantive dialogue" with Dalai Lama.
China says boycotting Beijing Olympics would only invite humiliation
(People's Daily, 2 Apr 2008)
China said on Tuesday if any foreign officials boycotted the Beijing Olympic Games, they were boycotting a grand event that belonged to the world's people, and would only invite humiliation.
Police: Offensive weapons found in Tibetan temples
(CCTV, 3 Apr 2008)
A large quantity of offensive weapons suspected to be used for riots were discovered in several Tibetan temples, China's Ministry of Public Security said here on Tuesday.
China Focus: Tibet ready to geet Olympic torch
(XinHua, 19 Jun 2008)
Tibet is to greet the Olympic torch with flowers and distinctive folk dances, when it arrives in the regional capital of Lhasa on Saturday. The images of five Fuwas, mascots of the Beijing Olympics, are displayed in flowers in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa. The city's main streets are decorated with signboards carrying slogans, such as "Light the Passion, Share the Dream," "Bless the Motherland, Joyfully Greet the Olympics," "Great Ethnic Unity" and "Welcome to Lhasa."
Tibetan woman carries torch for third time in 18 years
(XinHua, 21 Jun 2008)
Dawa Yangzom, a 32-year-old teacher at Tibet University, joined the other 155 torchbearers in the Olympic torch relay in Lhasa Saturday. It was the third time in her life to carry torch for important sports events. "I couldn't be prouder, knowing I am showing the rest of China and the world the very best of Tibet," Dawa told Saturday's China Daily.
Olympic flame moves people as torch relayed on International Olympic Day
(XinHua, 24 Jun 2008)
The Olympic torch was relayed along the Qinghai Lake on Monday, the second stop of its Qinghai leg in "Journey of Harmony". Compared with the flame's travel in many big cities, its arrival in the pastoral Qinghai Lake is a special event for local Tibetans and other ethnic residents. Many of them came to the lakeside one or two days ago, waiting for the flame.
Tibet not open to global debate, spokesman says
(China Daily, 2 Jul 2008)
China expressed on Tuesday its resolute opposition to discussing the Tibet situation in any form at international conferences, saying the issue is an internal affair. Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said Tibet should not be linked to the Olympic Games, which was seen as a response to comments by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who said his attendance at the Games' opening ceremony would depend on the progress of talks between the Chinese government and the private representative of the Dalai Lama.
Carrefour reiterates support for Olympics
(Xinhua, 29 Apr 2008)
French supermarket chain Carrefour and its employees regretted over the disruption of the Beijing Olympic torch relay in Paris and fully supported the Olympics, a senior official said on Monday.
Efforts intensify in handling petition, complaints prior to Olympics
(Xinhua, 5 Jul 2008)
China's public security organs at all levels are being urged to put greater efforts into handling petitions to safeguard citizen's lawful rights and create a favorable environment for the upcoming Olympics.
4 Foreign Nationals Ordered to Leave China
(China Daily (Xinhua), 6 Aug 2008)
Two Americans and two British nationals have been ordered to leave China "within a prescribed time limit" after displaying "Free Tibet" banners near an Olympic venue in Beijing on Wednesday, local police said. "They disrupted public order and violated Chinese laws. Their period of stay in the country will hereby be cut short according to the Law of the People's Republic of China on Control of the Entry and Exit of Aliens," the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau said in a statement issued late on Wednesday.
Tibet Activists Take to Tiananmen
(South China Morning Post, 10 Aug 2008)
[Video] Five foreign activists from Students for A Free Tibet protested at Tiananmen Square on Saturday, the second day of the Olympics. The group's founder John Hocevar says non-violent protests will continue.
Human Rights – International
Rudd says he'll go to Beijing
(The Canberra Times, 20 Jun 2008)
Months of speculation over whether Prime Minister Kevin Rudd would attend the Beijing Olympic Games ended yesterday when he announced he would be attending the opening ceremony and ''the first few'' events. The decision brought an immediate rebuke from Greens senator Bob Brown, who said Mr Rudd's ''predictable'' decision raised the question of why he had kept Australia waiting so long. He said the Government had done nothing since the bloodshed in Tibet in March to lift Beijing's suppression of seven million Tibetans.
Rights advocates risk backfire in Olympic activism
(The Guardian, 2 Jul 2008)
Western activists trying to use Beijing's staging of the Olympic games as an opportunity to promote civil rights risk provoking resentment among the Chinese people, U.S. China analysts say.
Chinese vent anti-Western fury online
(The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Apr 2008)
Bloggers are now calling for boycotts and stoking death threats over perceived insults from Westerners who have criticized China's human rights record ahead of this summer's Olympic Games.
Protesters March in Advance of Torch in India
(The New York Times, 18 Apr 2008)
Hundreds of Tibetan protesters marched through central Delhi on Thursday morning shouting "Die for Freedom" hours before the Olympic torch was due to be carried through the Indian capital.
Beyond the “genocide Olympics”
(The Economist, 24 Apr 2008)
This new consensus is reflected by the lack of serious opposition to a new report by John Ruggie, the UN Special Representative on Human Rights, which proposes a new framework that states clearly that firms have a responsibility actively to respect human rights. If this is adopted by the Human Rights Council in June, as seems likely, it will be the first time that the UN human-rights machinery has taken a substantive position on companies’ responsibilities.
Politics Doesn't Belong at Olympics, Says UN Sport Advisor
(Deutsche Welle, 26 Apr 2008)
"Unfortunately, human rights are violated in many countries in the world. It's wrong to push this problem off onto the IOC. These issues should be brought up with political bodies, human rights organizations and the UN. I think it's the wrong approach to demand that sports organizations solve these political problems just a few weeks before the Olympic Games. But it is the view of the IOC that the athletes -- as responsible citizens -- have the right to express themselves on political issues."
Olympic Torch Protesters Attacked in South Korea
(The New York Times, 28 Apr 2008)
Thousands of young Chinese who assembled to defend their country’s troubled Olympic torch relay pushed through police lines here on Sunday, some of them hurling rocks, bottled water and plastic and steel pipes at protesters who were demanding better treatment for North Korean refugees in China.
Cheers outweigh protest at Hong Kong's Olympic torch relay
(The Christian Science Monitor, 2 May 2008)
Hong Kong immigration officials held Ms. Farrow for questioning on her arrival Thursday but allowed her to enter, and she spoke out Friday on Darfur. That was a smart PR move, given her international profile, says David Zweig, director of the Center on China's Transnational Relations at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He says that far from surrendering free speech, Hong Kong has continued its role since 1997 as the most cosmopolitan and democratic corner of China, and a refuge for dissenting voices.
In China, the game has changed
(Los Angeles Times, 15 Jun 2008)
Playing host to the Olympics may be forcing new ways on the rigid regime. Nowhere is this change more evident than in its policy toward Sudan, where Beijing's stance has undergone a quiet revolution. Change is afoot in China's policy toward Myanmar as well. Beijing's newfound flexibility in foreign policy, however, has not been matched by a new regard for Chinese human rights.
China clampdown for Olympic torch in Xinjiang
(AFP, 15 Jun 2008)
China has tightened controls on Muslims in its remote west ahead of the Olympic torch's arrival next week to thwart any actions aimed at disrupting the relay, residents and exiles said. The measures include detaining thousands in the Xinjiang region and forcing Muslim religious officials to undergo "political education" on "protecting" the Olympics, said Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the Germany-based World Uighur Congress.
China Urges People in Restive Xinjiang to Watch Olympic Relay at Home
(Voice of America, 16 Jun 2008)
The people of Xinjiang in far western China, including millions of ethnic Uighurs, have been advised to stay home during their Olympic torch relay on Tuesday "for safety reasons."
Good day to remember John Carlos and Tommie Smith
(USA Today, 5 Jun 2008)
John Carlos and Tommie Smith are worth remembering as U.S. athletes headed to Beijing are being told to sign promises they won't address political issues while in China. So, does that mean that if there's a government crackdown on dissidents or a blatant abuse of basic human freedoms while they're in China that our athletes are just supposed to pretend it didn't happen?
Pro-Tibetan activists protest in Greece
(AP, 6 Jun 2008)
A small group of pro-Tibetan activists protested Friday outside an Athens hotel where top IOC officials were meeting on the last of a three-day conference.
China says stop Tibet protests to advance talks
(Reuters, 10 Jun 2008)
China calls on the Dalai Lama and his supporters to halt Tibet protests and attempts to "ruin the Olympics," in order to create the conditions for future roundtable talks.
Tight security for Olympic torch in China's Xinjiang
(International Herald Tribune, 19 Jun 2008)
Heavy security accompanied the Olympic torch through China's restive west, offering a preview of the heavy-handed measures expected when it travels through riot-torn and still sequestered Tibet later in the week. Shops and roads were closed and people were kept off the streets Wednesday in a security clampdown to safeguard the torch as it wound its way through predominantly Muslim Kashgar in China's far western Xinjiang, where separatists have waged a low-level insurgency against Chinese rule.
Olympics add to security misery in China's far west
(Reuters, 19 Jun 2008)
Residents and rights groups say the last few months in the lead up to the summer Games, which open on August 8, have been marked by an increasingly heavy crackdown and an ever more onerous public security burden. Local people say they were told to stay at home for the Olympic torch relay, and were even barred from watching the torch's passage from their balconies. Shops were ordered bolted shut, prompting quiet yet cautious complaints from residents long used to tough restrictions.
China rights questioned weeks before Olympics
(Reuters, 19 Jun 2008)
China promised to make improvements to human rights ahead of the Olympic Games but its record may have actually deteriorated in the run-up to the events in August, a human rights activist and writer says. In its bid to host the 2008 Olympics, China promised such improvements as greater press freedoms but author Minky Worden says the opposite has been true.
China to bar people with AIDS, other diseases from Olympics
(USA Today, 20 Jun 2008)
China is putting out the welcome mat for foreign tourists during the Olympics -- as long as they're not sick. Kyodo News reports that Beijing plans to bar foreigners with certain medical conditions from entering the country during the games. The Japanese news organization says Beijing's list includes: yellow fever, cholera, venereal disease, leprosy, infectious pulmonary tuberculosis and AIDS.
Bach on Beijing
(Reuters, 26 Jun 2008)
IOC vice president Thomas Bach has been one of the most eloquent opponents of any boycott of the Summer Olympics in Beijing. When asked about comments last week from Zhang Qingli, Tibet’s Chinese Communist party boss: “We will certainly be able to totally smash the splittist schemes of the Dalai Lama clique.” Bach responded “I don’t consider that to be an acceptable formulation, especially at the Olympic torch relay.” “It’s essential that one carefully chooses the right words — there is after all a dialogue going on now with representatives of the Dalai Lama."
China reopens Tibet to foreigners three months after riots
(Press Trust of India (PTI), 26 Jun 2008)
Tibet was thrown open to foreign tourists today, more than three months after it was kept out of bounds in the wake of unrest following the worst anti-China protests in two decades in the remote Himalayan region.
Activists Warned on Olympic Protests
(The New York Times, 27 Jun 2008)
In the latest sign of efforts to prevent dissent during the Beijing Olympics, political activists in Shanghai say they have been warned against expressing their opinions, speaking with foreigners or visiting Beijing until after the Games. The activists, who have petitioned the city government over grievances in the past, say they were summoned by the police, or detained and issued warnings against making political statements before or during the Games.
China denies politicising Games
(BBC News, 26 Jun 2008)
China has denied politicising the Olympic Games following a rebuke by the International Olympic Committee over remarks made by an official in Tibet. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) sent a letter "regretting" remarks made during a ceremony marking the passage of the torch through Tibet.
Flap over China, Darfur clouds marketing effort
(Boston Herald, 30 Jun 2008)
Companies sponsoring this summer’s Beijing Olympics seek the thrill of advertising victory - but risk the agony of public-relations defeat. The games are more than six weeks away, but Boston activists have already hit Volkswagen and Framingham-based Staples with protests over sponsorship of the event. Critics picketed a Boston Volkswagen dealership this month and held an anti-Staples protest on Boston Common in April.
U.S. lawmakers decry Olympics after dissidents blocked
(Reuters, 1 Jul 2008)
Two U.S. Congressmen on Tuesday urged President George W. Bush to rethink attending the Beijing Olympic Games after they were prevented from meeting Chinese human rights activists.
Bush to Attend Opening Ceremony in Beijing
(The New York Times, 4 Jul 2008)
The White House said Thursday that President Bush would attend the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics next month, a decision fraught with international political symbolism that quickly drew criticism from advocates for human rights.
Chinese, Tibetans begin 2-day talks
(Chicago Tribune, 3 Jul 2008)
Chinese and Tibetan envoys on Tuesday began their first formal talks since bloody protests swept Tibetan areas of western China three months ago, in a dialogue that may affect the Olympic Games here next month. Chinese and Tibetan envoys on Tuesday began their first formal talks since bloody protests swept Tibetan areas of western China three months ago, in a dialogue that may affect the Olympic Games here next month.
Beijing faces Olympic challenges
(BBC, 8 Jul 2008)
With a month to go before the Beijing Olympics, China remains plagued by a number of problems including critical human rights reports and pollution.
Around the World, Activists Assemble to Press China on Rights
(Washington Post, 9 Jul 2008)
Marking the one-month countdown to the start of the Beijing Olympic Games, activists gathered in New York and in cities around the world Tuesday to call on China to ease crackdowns on dissenters and release political prisoners.
China warns of Muslim terrorist threat ahead of Olympics
(AFP, 9 Jul 2008)
China insisted on Thursday it faced a serious terror threat in its Muslim-majority far northwest ahead of the Olympics, as it announced 82 "suspected terrorists" had been detained there this year.The 82 belonged to five groups that "allegedly plotted sabotage against the Beijing Olympics," the official Xinhua news agency reported.
China: Uighurs plotted 'holy war'
(Al Jazeera English, 10 Jul 2008)
Five ethnic Uighur men shot and killed in a police raid in China's western Xinjiang province were part of a group plotting a "holy war", Chinese state media has said, less than a month before the Beijing Olympics open. The five were killed in a raid on Tuesday in an apartment in the city of Urumqi, Xinjiang's regional capital.
Police shoot dead five members of 'Chinese al-Qaeda'
(The Times, 9 Jul 2008)
With less than a month to go before the Olympics open in Beijing, Chinese police have shot dead five members of a Muslim ethnic minority they said were bent on waging holy war inspired by al-Qaeda and setting up an independent state.
Olympics are for Sport, not Politics
(American Public Media: Marketplace, 10 Jul 2008)
While many are tempted to use the Olympic Games as an opportunity to criticize China's human rights record, commentator Ilya Shapiro says it's time to take the politics out of this sporting event.
Four Weeks to Go and Beijing's Unknown Army is in Retreat
(The Guardian, 12 Jul 2008)
Beijing has replaced its notoriously smelly public toilets with modern, cleaner conveniences. To tidy the streets, it has increased the penalty on spitting, launched anti-litter campaigns and hired tens of thousands of migrant workers. But the clean-up will soon be extended to many of those doing the cleaning. On July 20, many of the city's migrant workers - who have done more than anyone to build and beautify the Olympic city - have been ordered to return to their home towns.
US Lawmakers Condemn Crackdown on China's Minority Muslims
(AFP, 12 Jul 2008)
US lawmakers on Friday "strongly condemned" what they called Beijing's harsh pre-Olympic crackdown in China's Muslim-populated far northwest Xinjiang region. The bipartisan leadership of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in a statement cited "credible" reports about a July 9 conviction in a closed trial of 15 minority Muslim Uighurs on terrorism charges that led to "the immediate execution of two" of them.
Olympic Undesirables Expelled From Beijing
(The Age, 13 Jul 2008)
Ms Pemba, a Tibetan by ethnicity, stepped out of her Beijing flat on Tuesday morning and headed for her English-teaching job at a private school. She was surrounded by about eight security agents and within 15 hours was back in London, banned from returning to China for five years. Beggars, the homeless, prostitutes, activists, and anyone who might challenge Beijing's efforts to present itself as a modern, sophisticated metropolis are being forced to leave, or denied re-entry.
Boycott Beijing Olympics, China Expert Says
(The Wall Street Journal: Market Watch, 16 Jul 2008)
Steven W. Mosher, well-known China expert, calls for a boycott of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, saying that the games will only serve to legitimize a one-party dictatorship that has a deplorable human rights record.
China Asks Japan for Information
(Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 18 Jul 2008)
Chinese security has asked for information on Japan-based members of spiritual group Falun Gong, ahead of the Beijing Olympics. But the group isn't banned in Japan, and the Japanese government has refused the request.
Chinese Impose Blackout Over New Tibetan Monk Deaths
(The Times, 18 Jul 2008)
Two monks at a monastery in western China were killed in a clash with paramilitary police last weekend, three Tibetan sources have told The Times. The Tibetan sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that officers from the paramilitary People’s Armed Police were deployed to halt any violence and shots were fired. One said: “Two monks were killed. These were my relatives.”
China Moves to Quell Violence Before Games
(The Australian, 18 Jul 2008)
Responding to a new wave of unrest ahead of the Olympics, China's communist leadership has told local leaders to address public grievances in order to head off protests that threaten the country's social stability.
Bush Urged to Raise Prisoners' Rights with China
(The Guardian, 16 Jul 2008)
Human rights activists sent a letter to U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday urging him to raise the cases of 23 political prisoners when he attends the Beijing Olympics next month.
China’s Unreality TV
(The New York Times, 22 Jul 2008)
To win the right to host the Games, Beijing promised to expand press freedoms for foreign reporters and implied that opening China to the world would help expand human rights more generally. We will never know whether China’s leaders intended to keep their word. What we do know is that the International Olympic Committee, corporate sponsors and governments around the world should have held China to its word. They have not, and China has read their silence as complicity.
US Lawmakers Consider Olympic Rights Message to China
(AFP, 24 Jul 2008)
A resolution was introduced Wednesday in the US House of Representatives asking China to end human rights abuses and its support for tainted governments in Sudan and Myanmar in line with "Olympic traditions of freedom and openness".
China Plans Olympic Protest Zones
(Al Jazeera English, 23 Jul 2008)
Chinese authorities are planning to establish specially designated areas for protesters at next month's Olympic Games, according to security officials.
China Denies Work Visa for Los Gatos Olympian; Political Motive Suspected
(The Mercury News, 23 Jul 2008)
Kendra Zanotto was set to work as an expert synchronized swimming reporter for the Olympic News Service, an official arm of the Beijing Games. But she says her visa application was refused Monday because of her affiliation with Team Darfur, an athlete-driven group that seeks to call attention to the crisis in western Sudan.
China Rights 'Worsen With Games'
(BBC News, 28 Jul 2008)
The human rights situation in China has deteriorated, not improved, with its hosting of the Olympic Games this year, campaigners Amnesty International say. It documents the use of "re-education through labour", the suppression of rights activists and journalists, and the use of arbitrary imprisonment.
Rice Says China Must Not Use Olympics to Squash Dissent
(The Guardian, 26 Jul 2008)
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged China on Saturday not to use security concerns over next month's Olympics as a cover to crush political dissent.
China Dissidents Hope Olympics Not Like Berlin Games
(The Guardian, 28 Jul 2008)
One of China's leading dissidents, Chen Ziming, hopes the Beijing Olympics will be like the Seoul Games in 1988 and lead to political reform and not like the Nazi propaganda-driven Berlin Olympics of 1936.
Rights Issue Looms as Bush Heads to China
(The Washington Post, 28 Jul 2008)
What the president will do or say in Beijing is the subject of considerable debate within the administration, several officials said, but they expressed doubt that Bush would do much to embarrass the Chinese leadership during an event it considers something of a coming-out party for China as a world power. However, Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.) is urging Bush to emulate President Ronald Reagan, who made a major public address about religious freedom and human rights when he visited the Soviet Union in 1988.
More Pressure on Beijing
(The New York Times, 31 Jul 2008)
President Bush is finally beginning to complain -- gingerly -- about China’s disgraceful wave of pre-Olympics repression.
City's Signs Suggest a House Divided
(Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug 2008)
Two very different messages written on the walls of Kashgar capture why China's regime is watching this distant outpost with particular interest in the final days before the Beijing Olympics, scheduled to start Aug. 8.
Two Chinese Dissidents Back in Taipei from Hong Kong
(Monsters and Critics, 2 Aug 2008)
Two overseas-based Chinese dissidents who flew to Hong Kong Saturday to try to protest China's holding the Beijing Olympic Games were denied entry and deported to Taipei Saturday night, press reports said Sunday.
16 Chinese Police Officers Killed
(The Globe and Mail, 4 Aug 2008)
With the Olympics just four days away, China has been hit with a violent attack that killed 16 police officers in its troubled Muslim region of Xinjiang, one of the bloodiest assaults on Chinese authorities in many years. The attack is likely to escalate tensions that are already running high on the eve of the Beijing Olympics. China has mobilized an anti-terrorism force of 100,000 soldiers and police, along with a battery of surface-to-air missiles, to protect the Olympic Games from terrorist attacks.
China's Iron Hand
(The Arizona Republic, 5 Aug 2008)
Instead of the Olympics serving as a means for China to clean up its human-rights act, it is using the excuse of the Games to clamp down even further. And, instead, to paint on that veneer of excitement and joy.
China Clears Streets for the Olympics
(Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug 2008)
As part of its bid to host the Olympics, China promised to improve its human rights record. Last month, the government announced that it would go so far as to designate space in city parks where protesters could exercise free speech. But such pledges come at the same time as the unprecedented crackdown in the streets. Along with beggars and pickpockets, the petitioners appear to top the list of the personae non gratae whom Beijing wants out before Friday. The petitioners are living in the streets largely because the Chinese government, citing concerns over Olympic security, has in recent weeks closed down thousands of cheap hotels and basement apartments where rooms could be rented for less than $1 a day. The government has also demolished housing in entire neighborhoods where petitioners have lived.
Foreigners Protest for Tibetan Independence in Beijing
(Deutsche Welle, 6 Aug 2008)
Two days ahead of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, China seems to have reneged on its pledge to honor freedom of expression after the arrest of demonstrators and the unexplained revocation of visas.
Clandestine Olympic protests
(BBC News, 6 Aug 2008)
In the world of the Olympic protester, those people who have come to Beijing to voice their complaints about the Chinese government, cloak-and-dagger publicity stunts days before the start of the Games are one way to get their message out.
An Olive Branch From the Dalai Lama
(The New York Times, 6 Aug 2008)
When the Olympics open on Friday, the Dalai Lama won’t be there. Each side put out feelers about his attendance and was tantalized by the idea, but in the end the mutual distrust was too great to overcome.
Bush Criticises Beijing Rights Record, Leaves For Games
(RFI, 7 Aug 2008)
US President George Bush has expressed his "concern" over China's human rights record as China declares it is ready to stage one of the greatest Olympics ever.
Flags, Protests and Surprising Restraint
(The Globe and Mail, 7 Aug 2008)
On the eve of the Olympics, the Chinese authorities have become enmeshed in a cloak-and-dagger game with an array of foreign protesters, detaining some activists while failing to block protests by others.
China Revokes Visa of US Olympic medallist and activist
(The Guardian, 6 Aug 2008)
Chinese authorities have abruptly revoked the visa of 2006 winter Olympic gold-medallist and Darfur activist Joey Cheek, prompting a protest by the US government and further marring the start of the Beijing games.
Olympic Message to Some in Beijing Is ‘Please Leave’
(The New York Times, 7 Aug 2008)
Like thousands of others who packed Beijing’s main train station on Thursday, Li Tianchao, an itinerant worker, was prompted to leave Beijing by a lack of work and an unwritten government policy encouraging migrant workers to clear out until the dignitaries and journalists have gone home.
The Flag Man Stands Down
(Time, 9 Aug 2008)
Lopez Lomong, a Sudanese refugee and new U.S. citizen carried the American flag at the Olympic opening ceremony. Asked by the international press to join the critics of China's human rights record, its ties to the Sudan, and its decision to revoke the American Darfur activist and former Olympian Joey Cheek's visa Lomong dodged. "I'm here to inspire other kids who are out there watching these Olympics," he said at one point.
Revolution From Below
(The Globe and Mail, 9 Aug 2008)
While the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics yesterday were a spectacular show the narrative from most of the Western media has been something like this: Back in 2001, China promised to behave and improve its human-rights records, in exchange for hosting the Games, but has broken its promises; there is more repression of Tibetans and other minorities, more jailing of dissidents, more harassment of the foreign press, more pollution, more censorship; in short, China is not democratizing. But there have been advances mainly due to the Chinese people's continuous struggle, often against the mighty control apparatus of an authoritarian state. To have counted on the Beijing Olympics to deliver a fast political miracle inside China, or anything else that the outside world might have wanted, was both unrealistic and shortsighted. We need to ask: What happens to China, to all the problems and challenges it faces at the end of this month when the Games are over? What is the leverage then?
China Designates Special 'Protest Zones'
(The Daily Telegraph, 10 Aug 2008)
For those who want to demonstrate but do not want to risk arrest and deportation, there is another, perfectly legal way to get heard at the Olympics - at three "designated protest zones" around the capital city. They are, however, a far cry from Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park. For one, they are tucked away in hard-to reach suburbs, seven miles from the main Olympic stadium. And for another, the rules on exactly who can demonstrate, and what they can demonstrate about, are as strict and complex as any in China's Byzantine bureaucracy. Human rights activists have branded them as worthless "protest pens" and predict they are likely to stay empty for the duration of the Games.
After the Games, Tibet
(The New York Times, 14 Aug 2008)
The Olympics could end up being the second-most-significant event in China this year. The Chinese leadership and the Tibetan government in exile have delicately discussed a possible visit by the Dalai Lama to China, nominally to commemorate the victims of the earthquake in Sichuan Province in May. That would be the first meeting between the Dalai Lama and Chinese leaders in more than 50 years and would give enormous impetus to resolving the Tibet question.
House Churches Barred From Holding Services Over Olympics Period
(Christian Today, 15 Aug 2008)
A number of house church leaders in China have been forced to sign a written agreement declaring that they will not hold services whilst the Olympic Games take place in Beijing.
A Wrong Theme For the Beijing Olympics
(Sudan Tribune, 18 Aug 2008)
"One World, One Dream" as the theme for the Beijing Olympics, though only in words, is as beautiful as the Bird’s Nest Stadium where the ceremony for the world sports was officially opened; but ironically it reflects exactly the opposite of what China portrays in the world. Unless the theme is confined to suit sports only, there is no way one would believe that China could both be a perpetrator of love and peace and at the same time the mentor behind the war and genocide in Darfur. This proved beyond all doubt that China has opened its doors for the world’s Olympics not in beautiful colors but also in forms of an attractive wording to make up a theme that will put a curtain on the face of the world.
The Dark Story Behind China’s Gold Medals
(The Epoch Times, 19 Aug 2008)
Chinese athletes continue to take top honors in the Beijing Olympics, but it isn’t merely the product of talent and training. The Chinese communist regime is a driving force behind the country’s gold medal wins, and evidence reveals that the regime has used its totalitarian rule to divert vast amounts of the nation’s wealth, shown utter disregard for their athletes’ health and have relied heavily on steroid use in order to gain Olympic gold.
Chinese Pensioners Punished After Applying to Protest
(The Daily Telegraph, 21 Aug 2008)
Two Chinese pensioners who applied for the right to demonstrate in the "protest pens" at the Beijing Olympics have been sentenced to a one-year term of "Re-education through Labour", a leading Chinese human rights groups has said.
IOC Says Wants to See Beijing Protest Parks Used
(Reuters, 21 Aug 2008)
The International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday it would have liked to see protesters actually use designated protest parks during the Beijing Games. Not a single permit for the 77 protest applications has been issued by Chinese authorities.
China Stages Tibet Opera During Games
(The Daily Telegraph, 21 Aug 2008)
An opera written to offer a rose-tinted portrayal of China's relationship with Tibet will run in a large Beijing theatre for three days this week.
Brown Praises Beijing Olympics
(AFP, 23 Aug 2008)
Prime Minister Gordon Brown met with Chinese President Hu Jintao Friday, telling China's leader that the Beijing Olympics had captured the world's imagination, Chinese state media reported. Hu thanked Brown for showing his support for the Beijing Games when he welcomed the Beijing Olympic flame at his residence at 10 Downing Street in April, the report said.
China Keeps Pro-Tibet Websites Blocked
(AFP, 22 Aug 2008)
Pro-Tibet websites remained blocked in the Olympic press centre and elsewhere on Friday, amid reports that Chinese troops had opened fire on protesters in a remote area of southwest China.
Beijing Full of Reminders That Old Ways Still Pock Mark China's New Face
(The Canadian Press, 24 Aug 2008)
To put on the Olympics, China used brute strength and appealed to nationalist sentiment in order to cast a spell that would change itself from beast into beauty. Edicts swept cars off the streets, outlawed spitting, provided scripts on how people should talk to foreigners, and rules about what they should wear. The spell worked not only on its people, but on the world, conjuring up a China that appeared modern, welcoming and eager to please. It couldn't, however, cover up all the ugly pock marks left by a communist regime that is so offensive to the West, but which the Chinese people incredibly just don't seem to mind.
Will the Olympics Boost China Human Rights?
(Business Week, 23 Aug 2008)
Many were hoping a new openness would emerge as the mainland took center stage, but most experts agree the Games won't change much.
Dalai Lama to Lead post-Olympic Global Fast
(Ottowa Citizen, 23 Aug 2008)
The Dalai Lama will lead a global fast after the Beijing Olympics end next week to highlight the "Tibetan cause," the Tibetan government-in-exile said Friday.
China Gives 6 American Protesters 10-Day Detentions
(The New York Times, 23 Aug 2008)
A group of six Americans who were taken into custody on Tuesday as they tried to protest China’s rule in Tibet have been given 10-day detentions, the Chinese police confirmed Friday.
Too Old and Frail to Re-educate? Not in China
(The New York Times, 21 Aug 2008)
In the annals of people who have struggled against Communist Party rule, Wu Dianyuan and Wang Xiuying are unlikely to merit even a footnote. The two women, both in their late 70s, have never spoken out against China’s authoritarian government. Both walk with the help of a cane, and Ms. Wang is blind in one eye. Their grievance, receiving insufficient compensation when their homes were seized for redevelopment, is perhaps the most common complaint among Chinese displaced during the country’s long streak of fast economic growth. But the Beijing police still sentenced the two women to an extrajudicial term of “re-education through labor” this week for applying to hold a legal protest in a designated area in Beijing, where officials promised that Chinese could hold demonstrations during the Olympic Games.
Beijing’s Bad Faith Olympics
(The New York Times, 22 Aug 2008)
The Beijing Olympics still have one more day to run. But the final gold medal — for authoritarian image management — can already be safely awarded to China’s Communist Party leadership.
China's Thin Veil of Compliance
(The Canberra Times, 25 Aug 2008)
Exotic, distant and mysterious no longer. As a result of the Olympics, China has been recognised to have a more complex persona. The international gaze has now been redirected to some of the less agreeable ''externalities'' fuelling the economic miracle. And these externalities are not just problems for people in China, in Tibet and Xinjiang. They are also a problem for the rest of the world.
China Deports 8 American Protesters
(Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug 2008)
Eight Americans jailed for holding peaceful protests were deported Sunday during the Olympics closing ceremony, the U.S. Embassy said. The move comes hours after the U.S. Embassy called for the men's release and expressed disappointment that the Games did not bring more tolerance to the nation.
China Blocks iTunes Over “Songs Of Tibet” Album
(Ebrandz, 25 Aug 2008)
China may be open to the Olympics, but the government closed off access to the popular iTunes Web site in the country, apparently in response to reports that dozens of Olympic athletes were among those who had gone there to download an album promoting freedom for Tibet.
Shiny Olympics Shouldn't Disguise China's Dark Reality
(Turkish Daily News, 1 Sep 2008)
China’s horrible domestic human rights track record, extremely dark and aggressive involvement in Africa and the dodgy backing of all possible dodgy countries of the world remain unshaken
Paralympic Boon to China's Disabled
(Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep 2008)
If the Summer Olympics were a coming-out party for China as a whole, the Paralympic Games will be an even greater event for the country's disabled. In preparation for the 11-day international competition that opens Saturday, Beijing is being retrofitted with ramps for wheelchairs and street crossing signals for the blind. The city also has acquired 2,000 "kneeling buses."
Chinese Protester Freed After Olympics Detention
(AP, 8 Sep 2008)
A Chinese woman detained for a month after protesting about being evicted from her home ahead of the Olympics has been freed, the woman and her son said Monday. Zhang Wei said she was released on Saturday on condition that she keep her cell phone on at all times so police can contact her and order her back to jail if necessary.
Supreme Court’s Global Influence Is Waning
(The New York Times, 18 Sep 2008)
Judges around the world have long looked to the decisions of the United States Supreme Court for guidance, citing and often following them in hundreds of their own rulings since the Second World War. But now American legal influence is waning. Even as a debate continues in the court over whether its decisions should ever cite foreign law, a diminishing number of foreign courts seem to pay attention to the writings of American justices.
Environmental Issues - Local
Measures to improve air quality
(China Daily, 15 Apr 2008)
Work at Beijing construction sites will be suspended in the run-up to, and during, the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The suspension - along with a slew of other initiatives - to be effective from July 20 to September 20, aims to ensure better air quality during the Games.
Beijingers see air quality improving
(China Daily, 3 Apr 2008)
An increasing number of Beijing residents are content with the improving air quality of the city, as it is in full swing to stage the upcoming Olympic Games in August.
Beijing strives to improve air quality as Games draw near
(XinHua, 23 Jun 2008)
"Between June 23 and July 19, only half of the 22,800 vehicles used by all-level party organs, governments and public institutions under the Beijing administration will be allowed to use the road," a traffic ban issued by the Beijing Municipal Government stated. The ban was among the latest pre-Olympic drives to ease the capital's traffic congestion, and more importantly, to improve air quality. Other traffic bans include an even-odd system based on license plate numbers that will keep vehicles off the road on alternate days between July 20 and September 20 and a suspension of 70 percent of government motor vehicles during that period of time.
Athletes' cozy home embodies Green Olympics
(China Daily, 13 Jun 2008)
Energy critics will have little to complain about at the Olympic Village, thanks to Beijing's extensive efforts to offer a comfortable and environmentally friendly home for the athletes.
Qingdao vows to clean algae invading Olympic venues
(XinHua, 30 Jun 2008)
Qingdao, which will host the Olympic sailing competitions in August, will spend at most half a month to clean the algae invading, local government announced at a news conference on Sunday.
DIY crash procedure cuts jams in Beijing
(China Daily, 2 Jul 2008)
Of the many rules and regulations introduced by the Beijing government to ease the city's traffic problems, one of the simplest seems to be having the most effect: allowing car drivers to handle their own minor bumps.
Traffic, air quality emphasized during Olympics
(XinHua, 13 Jun 2008)
China's Vice President Xi Jinping Thursday urged guaranteeing smooth traffic, sound air quality and sound food safety during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Quake cannot sink Olympic preparations: BOCOG
(China Daily, 16 May 2008)
The massive jolt in southwest China that feared to take more than 50,000 lives will not affect either the safety or the preparations of the Beijing Games, said a senior official with the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG).
ISAF gives Qingdao high praise
(China Daily, 13 May 2008)
The Olympic Sailing Center received top marks from the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) and International Federation for Disabled Sailing (IFDS) on May 11 at an inspection tour during the 2008 IFDS Qingdao International Regatta.
Food safety at Games top priority: Quality chief
(China Daily, 19 Apr 2008)
Olympic food suppliers should tighten their management procedures to ensure products are not sabotaged before or during the Games, the country's top quality control official said on Friday. Li Changjiang, director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), said firms should also keep video records of their monitoring procedures for use in the event of any tampering.
Olympics sailing venue setting up second barrier against algae
(Xinhua, 9 Jul 2008)
Workers are racing against the time to build the second barrier to prevent algae from invading the Olympic sailing venue off the coast of Qingdao city in east China's Shandong Province.
People's Daily Hails One-month Countdown to Beijing Olympics
(Xinhua, 8 Jul 2008)
The People's Daily editorial, headlined "Beijing embraces the world," says China can still host a "high-level Olympic Games with characteristics" after the devastating earthquake that jolted southwestern Sichuan Province and neighboring regions on May 12. It said the massive disaster is a major test for China and the country passed it splendidly. "The quake won't batter the determination of 1.3 billion people to host a successful Olympics, nor it will batter the expectation of the Chinese nation to realize the century-old dream," it said.
IOC Official Surprised at Beijing's Air Quality Improvement
(Xinhua, 23 Jul 2008)
The air quality in Beijing has improved dramatically in recent days thanks to the effective temporary measures, an International Olympic Committee (IOC) official said on Wednesday.
Plastic Bottles Discarded in Olympic Venues to be Recycled
(Xinhua, 24 Jul 2008)
All plastic bottles discarded at each Olympic venue will be collected and recycled to maintain the cleanness in the stadium, according to a meeting for Olympic waste recycling held here on Wednesday. According to the meeting, Coca Cola, World's largest soft drink maker, together with the Beijing-based Income Resources Recovery Company, will jointly do the waste collection work.
China May Expand Industry, Traffic Control for Cleaner Air During Olympics
(Xinhua, 31 Jul 2008)
Beijing and the neighboring areas may impose stricter measures to curb industrial and vehicle emissions in case of serious air pollution during the Olympics, according to China's environmental watchdog.
IOC: Beijing delivers on Environmental Promises
(Xinhua, 6 Aug 2008)
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) lauded Beijing Wednesday for its efforts in environmental protection since it was awarded the right to host 2008 Games. Chairman of the IOC's environmental commission, Pal Schmitt, told the 120th IOC session that China's rapid economic growth has put a strain on the environment, but the city has done its best to tackle pollution.
Report: China Unleashes Clean Revolution
(Xinhua
, 1 Aug 2008)
A report published on Friday by the Climate Group hails China as the world's leading renewable energy producer, overtaking more developed economies in exploiting valuable economic opportunities, creating green-collar jobs and leading development of critical low carbon technologies.
Go for Gold in Olympic Weather Service
(Xinhua, 13 Aug 2008)
While people were enjoying the fireworks show in the evening, meteorologists were firing rockets to disperse threatening rainy clouds coming from the southwest. In order to keep the "Bird's Nest" dry, a total of 1,104 rockets were launched.
"Environmental Champions" Film Documentary Premieres in Olympic Green
(Xinhua, 13 Aug 2008)
A new documentary film on the personal stories and achievements of seven "environmental champion" torchbearers selected by Coca-Cola for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay made its debut in the Olympic Green here on Wednesday.
Olympic Water Self Sufficient, No Deep Aquifer Water Involved
(Xinhua, 13 Aug 2008)
A Ministry of Water Resources official said on Wednesday that Beijing could ensure a sufficient supply of water for the Olympic Games, with all water coming from the capital itself, no deep underground water being involved. Vice Minister of Water Resources Hu Siyi told a news conference that the hosting of the Games did not pose any threat to Beijing's supply of water. "There is no Olympic water diverted from the neighboring Hebei Province, and the valuable deep underground water is not used."
Environmental Issues - International
Prof to study industrial shutdown for Olympics
(Chicago Tribune, 7 Jul 2008)
A Valparaiso University professor plans to spend several weeks in Japan this summer to study whether China's efforts to clear Beijing's air for the Olympics has any impact on air quality in the island nation.
China dismayed at Australia's smog 'boycott'
(The Age, 17 Jun 2008)
Olympic authorities in China have expressed dismay at a decision by Australia to keep its entire track and field team away from the Games opening ceremony due to concerns about exposure to dirty Beijing air.
Olympics in China hits Indian pesticide units
(Business Line (The Hindu) , 7 Jun 2008)
The Beijing Olympics has a direct impact on the spiraling prices of pesticides that almost went up by 60-70 per cent in the last few months. China, a major exporter of certain basic chemicals that go into a number of pesticides and fungicides, has shut down over 1,800 chemical manufacturing units ahead of the Olympics scheduled for August 2008.
Cloud over Beijing
(The Times (South Africa), 8 Jun 2008)
About half the South African Olympic team will suffer from a variety of allergies and respiratory problems at the Beijing Games in August, according to a Cape Town sports scientist. Beijing has been criticized for the quality of it's air, which at times has pollution levels nearly five times above the World Health Organization's safety standards.
Beijing Announces Traffic Plan for Olympics
(The New York Times, 21 Jun 2008)
Beijing officials on Friday announced temporary measures to unsnarl the city’s traffic and reduce its chronic and sometimes choking air pollution. It will restrict owners of private cars to driving on alternate days, depending on whether the last number of their license plate is even or odd, officials said at a news conference. Operating hours for public transportation will be extended during the two-month period, the officials said.
Chinese Algae Threatens Olympic Sailing
(The New York Times, 1 Jul 2008)
With less than six weeks before it plays host to the Olympic sailing regatta, the city of Qingdao has mobilized thousands of people and an armada of small boats to clean up an algal bloom choking the coastline and threatening to impede the Olympic competition.
China to shut factories ahead of Olympics-sources
(The Guardian, 5 Jul 2008)
Authorities in Tangshan, an industrial city in Hebei province north of Beijing, have ordered 267 firms to shut down operations by July 8 to improve air quality ahead of the Olympics, government and industry sources said on Friday. The firms include 66 steel makers, as well as coke plants, cement firms and small power generators, a government official in Tangshan said.
China: An Olympic Loss for Industry
(Business Week, 4 Jul 2008)
Strict limits on production during the Games will be felt across the Mainland—and by consumers abroad. While many companies say the extent of the restrictions isn't yet clear, others have been given explicit instructions to shut down or curtail output. For many companies, the limits on traffic will be the most onerous.
Is China ready for the Olympics?
(BBC News, 6 Jul 2008)
In the swish surroundings of the former US embassy in Beijing, the medals for this summer's Olympic Games were recently unveiled...But while venues and transport facilities seem ready, there are doubts about some other Olympic plans - not least as regards Beijing's poor air quality.
Two Concerns for Olympics: Air and Access
(The New York Times, 9 Jul 2008)
With a month remaining before the Beijing Olympics, the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday praised the city’s preparations but also cited two "open issues" that remain: whether the city can deliver good air quality and fulfill promises to allow television networks to broadcast from non-Olympic sites.
Beijing faces Olympic challenges
(BBC, 8 Jul 2008)
With a month to go before the Beijing Olympics, China remains plagued by a number of problems including critical human rights reports and pollution.
Four Weeks to Go and Beijing's Unknown Army is in Retreat
(The Guardian, 12 Jul 2008)
Beijing has replaced its notoriously smelly public toilets with modern, cleaner conveniences. To tidy the streets, it has increased the penalty on spitting, launched anti-litter campaigns and hired tens of thousands of migrant workers. But the clean-up will soon be extended to many of those doing the cleaning. On July 20, many of the city's migrant workers - who have done more than anyone to build and beautify the Olympic city - have been ordered to return to their home towns.
Olympics Suck Up China's Already Scarce Water
(San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Jul 2008)
Changgucheng farmers were never told that the reservoir is one of four in the province tapped to meet the capital's demand for water leading up to and during the Olympic Games, which begin in August. The Games are expected to increase Beijing's water consumption by at least 5 percent, or 162,000 acre-feet, according to a recent report by Probe International, a Canadian environmental group. An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons.
An Olympic Smokescreen: Why We Need to Get Over Air Pollution at Beijing's Games
(Huffington Post, 13 Jul 2008)
Clear blue skies and traffic-free streets won't necessarily be good for China. On an image level, such cleanliness may only smack of Potemkin-village fakery and serve to highlight the government's authoritarian -- and patchwork -- system of control.
Olympic Travellers Advised to Beware of Dogs
(Calgary Herald, 12 Jul 2008)
If you're heading to the Beijing Olympics, don't worry too much about catching an exotic disease but be careful about getting bronchitis and being bitten by dogs, researchers said. After examining surveillance data collected from travel and tropical-medicine clinics worldwide they found that dog bites, respiratory infections and diarrhea have been some of the biggest health threats to travelers to China in the past 10 years.
Beijing Orders Pollution to Vanish
(Time, 15 Jul 2008)
Experts familiar with the city's plans for short-term pollution controls say Beijing's air should vastly improve in the final run-up to the Games. That will be good news for the country's reputation and a successful event. However, the solution is only a quick fix; once the controls are lifted, Beijing will most likely return to its smoggy norm.
China Opens New Subway Lines for Olympics
(Business Standard, 19 Jul 2008)
Beijing today opened three new subway lines in a bid to reduce traffic on the city's streets and improve air quality ahead of the Olympics.
Olympic Athletes Wearing Masks Could Cause China to Lose Face
(The Wall Stree Journal, 21 Jul 2008)
Chinese officials insist the notorious Beijing air will be cleaner by August, making face masks unnecessary. If athletes deploy the masks, they risk insulting the hosts. At the moment, there is no stated policy on mask-wearing at the opening ceremony or during competition. Olympic officials believe it's up to the international federation of each sport to determine whether to allow masks during events.
Beijing Freshens Up for the Olympics
(United Press International (UPI), 22 Jul 2008)
Beijing residents are enjoying rare blue skies since Sunday, when regulations designed to clear the air ahead of the Olympic Games went into effect.
Beijing Weighs Added Pollution Plans for Olympics
(The New York Times, 30 Jul 2008)
Less than two weeks before the Olympics, Beijing’s skies are so murky and polluted that the authorities are considering emergency measures during the Games beyond the traffic restrictions and factory shutdowns that, so far, have failed to clear the air, state media reported on Monday.
Beijing Losing Battle Against Olympic Smog
(The Independent, 29 Jul 2008)
With 10 days to go until the Beijing Olympics opens, the smog simply refuses to lift and the Games organisers are preparing emergency measures to clear the air ahead of the big day.
Bad Air Clouds Upcoming Beijing Games, Raises Concerns for Athletes
(ABC News (KTKA, America), 29 Jul 2008)
[Video] The thick cloud shrouding Beijing is air pollution that is three times the recommended level. When athletes breathe in polluted air, the lungs start to swell, and the airways become constricted, making it difficult to breathe. Officials are now looking into a clean-air emergency plan that may involve more traffic restrictions in a last-ditch effort to deliver the green Olympics China promised.
Olympic Pollution Controls Cost Chinese Industry
(Forbes, 29 Jul 2008)
Factory shutdowns and other industrial restrictions intended to help reduce Beijing's eye-searing smog for the Olympics are making business more complicated - and costly - for Chinese providers of steel, pharmaceuticals and other goods and services.
Green Lessons Of The Games
(The Straights Times, 31 Jul 2008)
Billing the Games as the Green Olympics, China will have to deliver on the air pollution score as convincingly as it is doing on the security front with robust and visible measures against terrorist threats. It will have to match the political and public relation skills with which it has defended its Tibet and human rights records.
Beijing Olympics: China to Celebrate Week of 'Fresh Air'
(The Daily Telegraph, 2 Aug 2008)
China's Olympic organisers are hoping to celebrate a week of "clean" skies tomorrow after recording another day when Beijing's notoriously poor air quality was officially judged good enough for the Games.
Chinese Try to Sniff Out Pollution Before Games
(CTV (Canada), 2 Aug 2008)
China has promised to meet World Health Organization standards for the Games, but in recent weeks, pollution levels have at times been about double the benchmark Chinese officials had hoped to achieve. So, Chinese officials have added a human touch to their anti-pollution efforts. They're also employing human sniffers, who have been deployed to areas around Olympic sites to find foul air.
Polluted, Polite, With a Chance of Rain
(The New York Times, 5 Aug 2008)
China is not the first to give man-made rain a try. Many scientists note that there is no proof that rain management works as advertised. In 2003, a report by the National Academies of Sciences said that despite ongoing efforts to seed clouds in several countries and American states, there was no reliable evidence that the techniques generated more rain than the clouds would have disgorged anyway.
Parched Beijing Bilks Rural Water Supply
(NBC News, 6 Aug 2008)
[Video]
Olympic Village Wins Award for 'Green' Design
(NPR, 13 Aug 2008)
The sprawling Beijing Olympic Village won its own gold medal on Wednesday for going green. U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson presented Chinese officials with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold award during a short ceremony, saying the 160-acre Olympic Village could serve as a future prototype for energy efficiency and environmentally friendly design.
Culture - Local
Dragon boat racers send good wishes to Beijing Olympics
(XinHua, 15 Jun 2008)
Pham Van Hung, captain for Vietnamese dragon boat team, said: "It's my third visit to China. Chinese people are very kind and easy-going. I like this country very much. Sports play an very important role in relationships between countries. Hosting the 2008 Olympic games in China, the most populous country in the world, can make the whole world know China much better. It must be an unprecedented event.
"Olympic pandas" kick off new life in Beijing
(China Daily, 5 Jun 2008)
Eight "Olympic pandas" made their debut at the Beijing Zoo and instantly aroused visitors' great affection. The pandas were nominated by Internet users to meet visitors in the run up to the Olympic games. Since their natural habitat was devastated by the May 12 earthquake, they were flown to Beijing via Chengdu on May 24 ahead of schedule.
Beijing organizers sanction chant for Olympic fans
(China Daily, 6 Jun 2008)
Beijing organizers are promoting an officially sanctioned chanting routine for Chinese spectators at August's Olympics, state media said on Thursday. Possible lack of sporting etiquette has been a concern for city authorities during preparations for the Games and a series of educational programs have been instituted.
Creating a Chinese brand
(China Daily, 27 Jun 2008)
Xiushui Street or Silk Market, is a must-go shopping destination for foreign tourists in Beijing. And it is in the process to shaking off an image of paradise for counterfeit brand products, as China strengthens its efforts to better protect intellectual property rights.
Guru tightlipped about 'winking panda'
(China Daily, 2 Jul 2008)
China's record-breaking social and economic changes over the past 20 years will become one of the major themes of the Olympic opening ceremony, according to one of the key members of the team.
Games to make the world 'better understand' China
(XinHua, 18 Jun 2008)
The Olympic Games will help Beijing become a world-class city and reduce foreigners' misconceptions about China, Gerhard Heiberg, chairman of the International Olympic Committee Marketing Commission, said here Tuesday.
Qingdao making Olympic cultural effort
(China Daily, 6 Jun 2008)
During the Olympic sailing competitions in Qingdao, athletes and tourists from home and abroad will enjoy local cultural activities and feel the ardent Olympic atmosphere. Jiang said a range of Olympic-themed artistic works have been produced including symphonies, songs, dances, dramas and movies. Qingdao also places importance on international cultural exchanges.
Foreign exchange
(China Daily, 16 May 2008)
A few hundred Olympic volunteers got brushed up this week on the do's and don'ts of how to serve the Beijing Games this summer. Urban volunteers to man posts outside Olympic venues during the Games received a two-day training course in the Chinese capital. They will offer first aid help as well as interpretation and information consulting services.
Beijing provides platform for global artists during Games
(China Daily, 13 May 2008)
Not only will Beijing become a sports arena during the August Games, but also host over 100 overseas performances and about 60 art exhibitions from May 23 until the end of September. The artistic forms on show during the period include opera, ballet, modern dance, folk dance, folk music, symphonies and evening galas. Audiences are expected to total 2 million.
First Full Dress Rehearsal of Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony Held in Secret
(Xinhua, 11 Jul 2008)
The first full dress rehearsal of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games was held in secret at the National Stadium on Thursday night. Tight security was deployed outside the stadium to keep the program of the three-and-a-half hour opening ceremony confidential. Three cordon fences circled the stadium, and armed police only unlocked the gates for vehicles with special passes, according to the TV footage.
In Changing Face of Beijing, a Look at the New China
(The New York Times, 14 Jul 2008)
Critics have incessantly described Beijing's high-profile architectural projects as bullish expressions of the nation’s budding global primacy. Yet these buildings are not simply blunt expressions of power. Like the great monuments of 16th-century Rome or 19th-century Paris, China’s new architecture exudes an aura that has as much to do with intellectual ferment as economic clout.At times terrifying in their aggressive scale, these buildings reflect the country’s effort to give shape to an emerging national identity.
Olympics: China's 'Madman' Gives Life -- And Body -- to Games
(Macau Daily Times, 13 Jul 2008)
Sun Dingguo rewarded himself with his 36th Olympic-themed tattoo after completing a 10-month journey across China, pedaling his rickshaw for the glory of the Beijing Games.
Mini China Welcomes You!
(Xinhua, 16 Jul 2008)
The Chinese Ethnic Culture Park has been a labor of love and precisely re-creates life in all 56 of China's ethnic groups.
Suits Cut From Cloth of Social Fabric
(China Daily, 17 Jul 2008)
Beijing designer Wang Li is proud this summer's Chinese Olympic medalists accept their awards clad in outfits she designed. Wang's suits fuse the traditional Chinese colors of red and yellow with imagery of the national flag and the "auspicious clouds" that adorn the Olympic relay torch.
UN Chief Full of Praise for Beijing
(China Daily, 23 Jul 2008)
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday he was impressed by the "spectacular" Olympic facilities he saw last month during his visit to Beijing.
Travel Agencies: China Domestic Olympic Travel Falls Lower than Expectations
(Xinhua, 16 Jul 2008)
Less than one month from the Beijing Olympic Games, some of China's travel agencies said they had overestimated the number of domestic travelers for the sporting spectacular to the host city.
One Million Cheap Olympic Tickets Allocated to Chinese Students
(Xinhua, 27 Jul 2008)
Following the practice of previous Olympics, China has set aside about 1 million Olympic tickets, priced at 5 yuan (73 U.S. cents) and 10 yuan, for primary and secondary school students nationwide. The tickets are stamped 'Olympic education program tickets.' "Tickets will be distributed to students through provincial education departments to ensure students from all over China will have the opportunity to join the Beijing Games," said Gao Hong, vice director with the Basic Education Department of the Education Ministry
S. Korean Minister Expects "Unusual and Wonderful" Beijing Olympics
(Xinhua, 27 Jul 2008)
"The whole world is witnessing Chinese efforts to host a successful Olympics. I believe the Beijing Olympics will be an unusual and wonderful event for our athletes," Yoo In-chon, minister of South Korea's Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry, told Xinhua.
Chinese Gymnasts Old Enough for Olympics
(Xinhua, 28 Jul 2008)
A Chinese official said on Monday the Chinese Olympic gymnasts are old enough for the Beijing Games. Zhang Peiwen, spokesman of the Chinese Gymnastics Association, said they registered the Olympians' ages according to their ID cards or other legal certificates.
Beijing Sets High Standard in Hosting Olympics, Says Famed U.S. Businessman
(Xinhua, 1 Aug 2008)
China has set an example too high for future Olympic hosting countries to follow, said John W. Allen, chairman and CEO of the U.S. Greater China Corporation (GCC).
With Olympics Near, it's Time to Share Dream and Enjoy
(Xinhua, 6 Aug 2008)
For all athletes, amateur or professional, to compete at the Games is their lifelong dream. To some athletes, like the four Iraqis who almost lost their chance to take part in the Beijing Games, realizing the dream needs more than hard training and good records.
Olympic Village: Garden-like, Convenient
(Xinhua, 6 Aug 2008)
[Photo Essay]
China to Provide Cultural Feast During Olympic Games
(Xinhua, 28 Jul 2008)
he Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) will provide a variety of unique cultural activities during the coming sports gala in August, says a senior BOCOG official.
Olympic Park to Showcase Intangible Heritage
(Xinhua, 28 Jul 2008)
Thirty special exhibits that showcase China's intangible cultural heritage will be open to many visitors free from Aug.9-Sept.17, during the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics, local media reported on Monday. The "Xiangyun Huts" will be located within the huge Olympic Park. These exhibits, built by 30 provinces and regions, display aspects of the Chinese intangible cultural heritage and traditional ethnic and folk customs and culture.
Chinese Businesses Look to Olympic Boost
(Xinhua, 4 Aug 2008)
Refusing to be overshadowed by international big names of Adidas and Coca Cola, Chinese sponsors of the Games are seeking to draw public attention from buses, subway trains, neon lights and right there in the Olympic venues.
Are We Ready for Beijing?
(China Daily, 2 Aug 2008)
Interview with American anthropologist, Susan Brownell, a US Fulbright Research Scholar who specializes in Chinese sports. A former nationally ranked track and field athlete, Brownell is doing research on the Chinese Olympics Games at Beijing Sports University. The interview seeks to answer the question "What do foreigners think of these Olympic Games?"
Winning or Losing, the Hosts are Always Cheering
(Xinhua, 12 Aug 2008)
Whether or not the Chinese athletes are competing, fans of the host country have transcended their national sentiments to take delight in others' victories, by shouting "go, go" and applauding with their cheerleaders to pep up international players.
Games Organizers Say Girl's Vocal Lip-synched to Ensure "Best Voice, Best Performer"
(Xinhua, 13 Aug 2008)
Beijing Olympic Games organizers said here on Wednesday that they had lip-synched the girl's singing at last Friday's Games opening ceremony to ensure the "best voice and the best performer." "There were a number of candidates to sing the song and the artistic directors just picked the best voice and the best performer," said Sun Weide, an official with the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 29th Olympic Games.
Gold is Good, but More Cheers for Sportsmanship
(Xinhua, 13 Aug 2008)
The Chinese public, while savoring the delight of one Olympic victory after another on the home soil, have also cast their eyes on the "losing heroes," sharing their pains, admiring their efforts and looking forward to their future success. "Winners or losers, all Olympians are heroes." This has become a catchphrase for the Chinese media and the home audience, tens of millions in number, over these days.
Lip-synch Furore Surprises Director
(South China Morning Post, 14 Aug 2008)
The music director of Friday's opening ceremony for the Olympics says he's surprised by the outcry over his revelation that producers had arranged for a girl to lip-synch a song sung by another child because she was supposedly unattractive.
Liu Xiang is a Fighter, Said Athletics Chief
(Xinhua, 18 Aug 2008)
Chinese athletics chief hailed Liu Xiang as a fighter after the defending champion pulled out of the Olympic 110m hurdles first round because of the tendon injury to the right foot on Monday morning.
Tumbles No Damage to Veteran Cheng's Shinning Image
(Xinhua, 17 Aug 2008)
Chinese veteran Cheng Fei remained a heroine in the eyes of spectators and her contenders on Sunday, although she failed to realize China's long-held dream to claim Olympic titles in women's vault and floor exercises.
Beijing Olympics Highlight Chinese Values
(Xinhua, 26 Aug 2008)
From a cultural perspective, one outstanding achievement of the Beijing Olympics is that it highlighted the basic values of the Chinese people and demonstrated China's moral power, a leading Chinese-American philosopher said.
French Parliamentarian Says World Knows China Better Through Olympics
(Xinhua, 30 Aug 2008)
"The Beijing Olympic Games was a window through which people around the world gained a better understanding about China," said Bernard Debre, a member of the French National Assembly, on Friday.
State Councilor Urges Adding Olympic Spirits to Chinese Education
(Xinhua, 2 Sep 2008)
State Councilor Liu Yandong has urged that the spirits of the Olympics and fighting disasters such as the Sichuan earthquake be added to the orientation program for students in the new semester.
China Becoming Great Power in World Sports, Says Slovak President
(Xinhua, 2 Sep 2008)
China has made huge progress and it is becoming a great power in world sports," Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic said in a written interview to Xinhua in his country's capital of Bratislava on Monday. The president, who has just returned from the Beijing Olympics, hailed the achievements of Chinese athletes at the Games, referring to the Chinese Olympics delegation as a world-level team.
Paralympic Athletes Able to Match Olympic Greats
(Xinhua, 10 Sep 2008)
In the Athens Olympics in 2004, Phelps came up one short of matching Mark Spitz's 1972 gold medal haul, while Popovich went 7-for-7 in five individual events and two relays in the ensuing Paralympics.
Chinese Power - Local
China pledges safe rail transport during Olympics
(XinHua, 16 Jun 2008)
China's rail systems must place priority on providing safe and sound transport during the coming Olympic Games, boosting passenger flow this summer, the Ministry of Railways said Monday.
China to ban air-freighting of dangerous goods during Olympics
(XinHua, 18 Jun 2008)
China will ban the air-freighting of dangerous goods to Olympic host cities during the Games, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said. Airlines will be prohibited from carrying explosives for civil use, guns and ammunition to the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang, Qinhuangdao and Qingdao from July 1 to Sep. 30,the administration said in a statement on its website.
Chinese swimmer gets lifelong ban for doping
(China Daily, 28 Jun 2008)
China's top swimmer, Ouyang Kunpeng, has been banned from competition for life after testing positive for steroids, a top Chinese swimming official said on Friday with only 43 days to go before the Beijing Olympics.
Hong Kong holds health drill to test Olympic preparedness
(XinHua, 7 Jun 2008)
Health authorities in Hong Kong held an inter-departmental exercise simulating a suspected food poisoning incident involving 24 sportsmen at the Olympic Village on Friday to test the city's Olympic preparedness.
Why Washington plays 'Tibet Roulette' with China
(China Daily, 16 Apr 2008)
Washington has obviously decided on an ultra-high risk geopolitical game with Beijing's by fanning the flames of violence in Tibet just at this sensitive time in their relations and on the run-up to the Beijing Olympics.
World leaders, scholars say any attempt to sabotage Olympics doomed to fail
(XinHua, 17 Apr 2008)
Government leaders and scholars around the world have voiced their support for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, condemning deeds of disrupting the Olympic torch relay and saying the sabotage attempts are doomed to fail.
China to intensify scrutiny over drugs during Olympics
(XinHua, 23 Jun 2008)
China will inspect all inbound cargoes and parcels during the 2008 Olympics as part of its anti-drug effort for the event, Liu Guangping, director of the general office of the General Administration of Customs, said on Monday.
UN chief wishes Beijing Olympics "most successful"
(XinHua, 29 Jun 2008)
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his confidence that the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will be the most successful ever in history. "I am quite confident that the Chinese government and people will make this most successful ever Olympic Games in history," Ban said.
Olympic doctors stand ready
(China Daily, 25 Jun 2008)
Dr Peng Mingqiang is deputy-director of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, the only medical institution designated to receive athletes, coaches and sports experts during the Olympic Games. He talks to Guan Xiaomeng of chinadaily.com.cn about how his staff has been preparing for medical services during the Games.
Challenges remain as Olympics approach
(XinHua, 19 Jun 2008)
As the clock ticks towards the Olympic Games, Beijing still faces awesome challenges as host city. "The situation is pressing, and the tasks are daunting," said Liu Qi, president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG), when visiting non-competition venues on Monday.
Anti-terror ace to ensure safe Games
(China Daily, 17 Jun 2008)
An anti-terrorism expert has been appointed executive vice-minister of public security amid intensified efforts to ensure a trouble-free Olympic Games. The ministry's website on Sunday night posted news of the appointment of Yang Huanning, former member of the standing committee of the Heilongjiang provincial Party committee and secretary of the province's political and law committee.
Satellite launched for Olympic TV broadcast
(China Daily, 9 Jun 2008)
China launched a new communications satellite, Zhongxing-9, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern Sichuan Province at 8:15 p.m. (Beijing Time) Monday. Audiences would be able to watch live broadcasts of Olympic events via the satellite. The quality and coverage of the country's television and broadcasting services were to be increased, and people in remote regions of China would receive clear television programs.
IOC in awe of Beijing Games preparations
(China Daily, 5 Jun 2008)
The International Olympic Committee praised Beijing Games organisers on Wednesday for setting the scene for what promised to be a successful Games. Hein Verbruggen, the IOC's chief inspector for the Beijing Games said all the venues were spectacular and Beijing would be a hard act to follow for London, which will stage the 2012 Olympics.
China issues legal guide for foreigners
(China Daily, 2 Jun 2008)
China on Monday released a legal guide for foreigners about a wide range of issues such as their entry, exit, tourism and accommodation in the country.
Games won't be financial burden to Beijing
(China Daily, 4 Jun 2008)
Despite being billed as the costliest Games ever, the Beijing Olympics won't be a financial millstone around the neck of the Beijing municipal government in the years to come, said Standard & Poor's Ratings Services in a report released here on Tuesday.
Visa procedures not made difficult - Official
(China Daily, 30 May 2008)
The Foreign Ministry has dismissed news reports and rumors claiming the country had stopped issuing multiple-entry visas and had tightened visa restrictions. A senior official of the ministry's consular department called such reports "unfounded", adding that Chinese diplomatic missions have been issuing multiple-entry visas to foreigners who meet the requirements.
Beijing well prepared for Olympic medical
(XinHua, 29 May 2008)
Beijing has set up an emergency response command system to cope with any outbreak of infectious diseases during this summer's Olympic Games, an official said on Wednesday. Jin Dapeng, chief of the Beijing Olympics organizing committee's medical support group, told a press conference that the city's 160,000 medical workers are all being trained to handle medical emergencies -- including bio-terrorist attacks.
Anti-terrorist team preparing for Games
(XinHua, 27 May 2008)
An anti-terrorist special team consisting of engineers and experts will shoulder the security work for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, according to the General Staff Headquarters of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
Interpol will help ensure safe Games
(China Daily, 26 Apr 2008)
The International Criminal Police Organization, better known as Interpol, will provide China with comprehensive intelligence and information to help ensure a safe Olympics in Beijing, its secretary-general said on Friday.
Closure of factories will not hit economy
(China Daily, 18 Apr 2008)
Beijing's economic growth this year will not be significantly affected by its plans to temporarily shut down factories, reduce their production, and limit the use of cars to improve air quality during the Olympic Games, an official said Thursday.
Getting creative with power plays
(The Standard, 7 Jul 2008)
Power has many forms. Even the most powerful are sometimes forced to be creative with the uses of their influence and reach, and cannot simply ram though their intentions. For Beijing, the mutability of its power relationships is an enduring truth and is informing many of its more pressing political issues.
A sample, not a sermon
(The China Post, 10 Jul 2008)
Taiwan is a genuine democracy with freedom of speech and assembly. Any group with a grievance or cause can peacefully protest, agitate or advocate their position. But history shows that the "soft power" of persuasion is often more effective than "in-your-face" confrontation.
People's Daily Hails One-month Countdown to Beijing Olympics
(Xinhua, 8 Jul 2008)
The People's Daily editorial, headlined "Beijing embraces the world," says China can still host a "high-level Olympic Games with characteristics" after the devastating earthquake that jolted southwestern Sichuan Province and neighboring regions on May 12. It said the massive disaster is a major test for China and the country passed it splendidly. "The quake won't batter the determination of 1.3 billion people to host a successful Olympics, nor it will batter the expectation of the Chinese nation to realize the century-old dream," it said.
Chinese Vice President Stresses Safety for Olympic Venues Outside Beijing
(Xinhua, 16 Jul 2008)
Vice President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that Olympic venues outside Beijing should give priority to safety and he expected audiences to watch the Games with good manners.
Network May be Busy but Not Paralysed During Olympics
(Xinhua, 17 Jul 2008)
Beijing's telecom network may be busy during the coming Olympic Games but will not be paralyzed, said a senior Chinese telecom official here Thursday. When asked whether the mobile phone network would work if the 100,000 audience at the Bird's Nest made phone calls at the same time during the opening ceremony of the Olympics, Chinese Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology Xi Guohua admitted at a press conference that the network was likely to go through temporary congestion.
China Muscles in on Steroid Industry
(CCTV, 29 Jul 2008)
THE Chinese Government has carried out a nationwide "dragnet" of the producers and distributors of anabolic steroids and peptide hormones to clean up potential suppliers of banned drugs to athletes before the Beijing Games.
Chinese Banks Provide Efficient Financial Services for Olympics
(CCTV, 29 Jul 2008)
China's major banks say big investments have been made to provide efficient financial services during the Olympic Games. With an extra half million people expected in Beijing during the 2008 Olympics, China's banking industry has worked to give the city's guests easy access to cash.
Beijing Sets High Standard in Hosting Olympics, Says Famed U.S. Businessman
(Xinhua, 1 Aug 2008)
China has set an example too high for future Olympic hosting countries to follow, said John W. Allen, chairman and CEO of the U.S. Greater China Corporation (GCC).
Olympic Sailing Venue Intensifies Port Surveilance
(Xinhua, 6 Aug 2008)
Ships visiting or leaving the port of Qingdao, venue of the Olympic sailing event in east China, were under strict safety checks, an official said here Wednesday.
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