The 2008 Beijing (or Peking) Olympic Games are now ready to begin. Official rhetoric is rife and tension is at its peak. This tension is officially justified by the high risk of terrorist attacks, but in reality it stems from the risk that something might slip out of the organisers’ control. all-powerful party. Ensuring the smooth running of the Olympic Games in a country as vast as China is a very difficult task, but a vast amount of human and financial resources has been allocated to maintaining absolute control over everything. Information is controlled, as is the image presented to the outside world, internal discipline, and so on… The self-censorship practised by millions of Chinese people this summer will be absolute, and without it, the state could not succeed in exercising such control.
Propaganda-laden speeches are the order of the day, and a prime example of this can be found on the official website itself:
«The Olympic Games fulfil the dream of all Chinese people. The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games have brought great expectations and inspiration to the world. For those who enjoy life, the Olympic Games are not merely seen as a first-class sporting event, but as a festival created and celebrated by the whole world. No matter where you are, you will be swept up in the Olympic spirit of “faster, higher, stronger” during the Games. Then the joy of “peace, friendship, multiculturalism and win-win” will blossom in your heart.
China is a country steeped in history with a rich cultural heritage. We Chinese are a hospitable people and we are filled with anticipation and enthusiasm at the magnificent occasion that is the Olympic Games. This ancient Eastern civilisation will come into close contact with the world during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. It is you, our friends from all over the world, who will bear witness to this momentous occasion! For this reason, BOCOG has set up a dedicated department to serve Olympic spectators. We look forward to providing you with an extraordinary experience and an unforgettable journey to the Olympic Games, with our sincere smiles and wholehearted service.
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Visiting other Olympic cities is also a good idea. In the “Spectator Services” section, we’ll introduce Qingdao, where the sailing events are being held; Hong Kong, where the equestrian events are taking place; as well as Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao, where the football matches are being played. You can visit these places to watch the Games or simply to travel. We’ll also provide you with information about them.
»How delighted Beijing must be to see friends coming from so far away! Today’s Beijing is preparing to welcome friends and guests from all over the world with a new look.”
That’s great! Not only do they allow us to travel to certain areas and go beyond simply attending sporting events, but they also encourage us to do so, provided it is considered «good idea«The Piarist Fathers are so wonderful…!’
From the COJOB (Beijing Organising Committee for the XXIX Olympic Games) now comprises more than 30 departments that have been set up since its establishment in 2001. All of these are theoretically intended for the organisation of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but are primarily devoted to controlling the information and image presented to the world. Departments have been created that are quite unusual for other Olympic Games, such as a General Planning Office, a mysterious General Office, an Environment Department, an International Liaison Department, a Games Services Department, a Legal Services Department and an Audit and Supervision Department, to name but a few.
The following are also well worth a look: official notices which always unfold at breakneck speed and make up the imposed, erratic schedules of accredited journalists. In the purest tradition of despotism and secrecy:
«BEIJING, 3 August (COJOB website) The Main Press Centre will organise a visit to Tiananmen Square on 5 August (Tuesday), from 14:00 to 16:00, to view the state of preparations at the square. During the visit, officials from the Beijing Landscaping Administration will give a general presentation on the decoration process.”.
Foreign journalists accredited for the Olympics are invited to this event. To attend, they simply need to send a fax with their proof of accreditation before 10.00 am on the 5th to the following fax number: 010-84371065
On the day of the visit, simply wait at the designated entrance at 1.30 pm
Contact persons: Tang Hui, Liu Xiaohui
Tel.: 66625259 66625258
Fax: 84371065″
A form of paternalism to which 1.3 billion people are accustomed, although I find it hard to believe that, in the remote and deep-seated rural areas of China, they have managed to motivate the population, however hard they may have tried. I fear that in the parts of China not visible to the international media, people will continue to struggle to escape poverty, and they will do so completely oblivious to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and its patriotic megalomania.
Nevertheless, from our summer seats we’ll be able to enjoy live what will undoubtedly be a spectacular sporting event on a national scale – the sort you don’t see much of these days.
The question is: How has China managed to prevent its Olympic Games from being boycotted, as happened with Moscow ’80 and Los Angeles ’84? Diplomacy or democratic concessions are not the answer. The key lies in the economic power of the up-and-coming leading power worldwide. The fact is that Western democracy is crumbling in the face of the financial support like an ice cube in my summer red wine whilst I lose a game of Monopoly with my children.