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The case against Beijing

News: China plays the game in the latest bid for Olympics

WHEN it comes to deciding which city should stage the 2008 Olympic Games, China and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) like to pretend that sport is quite distinct from politics.

In fact, their actions proclaim they think no such thing. Professed belief in separation is simply a ploy to overcome the difficulty of awarding the Games to the capital of a country with an authoritarian regime: Beijing is the front runner for the 2008 prize, to be decided in Moscow tomorrow.

Chinese officials condemn the holding of the 1936 Olympics in Berlin under Nazi rule. They also opposed their taking place in Moscow after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. In both cases, the objections are political. Likewise, the IOC under Juan Antonio Samaranch, whose reign of 21 years comes to an end next week, sees itself not merely as a sporting body, but also as an important contributor to peace in the world.

There is no doubt that each of the leading contenders for 2008 - Beijing, Paris and Toronto - is physically capable of hosting the Games. The outcome of tomorrow's vote will, therefore, reflect the political preferences of the committee.

Paris and Toronto are part of democratic states. Beijing, by contrast, is the seat of a government whose human rights record, despite liberalisation after the death of Mao, is worsening. Tibetans, Uighurs in Xinjiang, members of the China Democracy Party, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians who worship outside the official framework, adherents of Falun Gong - all are feeling the boot of oppression.

The Olympic Charter speaks of "respect for universal fundamental ethical principles". By that yardstick, Beijing, flagbearer of a nation that blatantly violates such principles, does not deserve the Games. Success will lend legitimacy to an increasingly chauvinistic and brutal regime. Mr Samaranch and his committee may be indifferent to that. But neither they nor the Chinese should be allowed to get away with the lie that politics plays no part in their calculations.

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

Answers

I don't think China deserves to win the bid, but I read a convincing editorial recently that the Olympics would give China an incentive to do the right thing for a while. Like not invading Taiwan.

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

I've read one or two similar articles, Brooks. But I don't think you can play nice-nice with the Chinese. According to Sweetie (who knows a lot about this stuff), the Chinese ethos is that occidentals are foreign devils, literally not human. Therefore, it follows, non-Chinese may be lied to with impunity and otherwise treated as nonhumans.

-- Anonymous, July 12, 2001

having the games in China will not in any way keep China from invading Taiwan.

In fact, all it would do is give Taiwan pause before retaliating against China for invading during the games. [And taking the Taiwan teams hostage.]

it would also cause the US to go slow in stepping into the fray.

Seven years, long time to wait...

-- Anonymous, July 13, 2001