Were China's Glittering Games All Gold?

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In The Media

Were China's Glittering Games All Gold?

The Olympic Games boosted the Chinese Communist Party's popularity among its citizen, the vast majority of whom are proud of their country and the spectacular performance of their athletes. However, the Games won't lead to dramatic change in China's political future; they strengthened the party's rule, leaving it under less pressure to reform.

By Minxin Pei

Published on Aug 31, 2008

Source: The Washington Post

By the time the Olympics ended, Beijing had clearly won the all-around gold. As a Chinese-born academic who was skeptical about the merits of hosting an extravagant sporting event in a country where 400 million people live on less than $2 a day, I'll grudgingly admit that the Chinese government once again showed that when the Communist Party mobilizes the state's resources, it can accomplish feats that are unimaginable in democracies. Were the Olympics worth the $43 billion bill? For the party, the answer is yes. The Games have boosted its popularity among the Chinese people, who are proud of their country and the spectacular performance of their athletes -- especially their 51 gold medals.

What the Olympics won't do is dramatically change China's political future. The Games strengthened the party's rule, leaving it under less pressure to reform. Beyond China's A+ athletic performance, here's my balance sheet.

-- Minxin Pei,

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Organization: A

The logistics and venues received high marks from athletes and visitors. But who will enjoy them now that the Olympians have left town? The average worker? Doubtful.

Security: A

Except for the fatal stabbing of an American at the outset of the Games, they were free of major security incidents.

Pollution: B-

Beijing's air quality, while not pristine, was dramatically better during the Games, thanks to draconian anti-pollution measures and favorable weather patterns. But what happens when they turn the factories back on?

Fun: C+

Tight security greatly dampened the festive atmosphere. Authoritarians don't have more fun. Really.

Western Coverage: C-

Western reporters and columnists dwelled excessively on hot-button issues, such as human rights and press freedom, and offered a lot of blather about a clash between two systems. So very Cold War.

Freedom of Assembly: F

Although the Chinese government set up three special "protest zones," it denied all 77 applications for protest. Fifty-eight foreign protesters were arrested and deported. Two Chinese grandmothers were also threatened with one year in a labor camp. How's that for "One World, One Dream"?

This piece originally appeared in The Washington Post's Outlook section.

About the Author

Minxin Pei

Former Adjunct Senior Associate, Asia Program

Pei is Tom and Margot Pritzker ‘72 Professor of Government and the director of the Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies at Claremont McKenna College.

Recent Work

In The Media
How China Can Avoid the Next Conflict
- Minxin Pei
In The Media
Small Change
- Minxin Pei

Military China

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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