As China marks the one-year countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, criticisms and commentary have emerged all over the world in anticipation of the event. With different viewpoints of values, assessments have been widely divided. Yet, the Chinese government's reports are always the same—strictly positive, with anything negative completely avoided. Favorable comments on the issue are regarded as being in conformity with their slogan for the 2008 Olympic Games "One World, One Dream," and any negative ones are seen as harboring vicious intentions or attempting to politicize the Games. As a matter of fact, when looking at what China has done to vie for the Olympic bid in the past several years, while holding onto political concern as the first priority, it is not the so-called "hostile Western forces" that have attempted to politicize the Olympic Games, but the Chinese Communist regime itself. The following are some of the examples to illustrate the allegation:
First, while marking the one-year countdown to the Olympic Games, the biggest criticism Western media have had against the Chinese Communist regime is that it didn't improve its human rights as promised when applying to host the Olympic Games. Over the past few years, people around the world have been paying close attention to China's human rights situation. In addition to incessant mass demonstrations that have taken place across the country, the number of petitioners that have amassed in the Beijing area alone has reached tens of thousands. Comparing to the situation at the time when it vied for the Olympic bid, China's human right situation has not improved whatsoever, and is instead regressing. As the Chinese Communist regime regards "subsistence" as a human right, Chinese former minister of foreign affairs Li Zhaoxing once mentioned: "Since I have suffered from starving, I know the best human right for the Chinese people is to feed them."
Second, according to the ratings compiled by the International Federation of Journalists, China's freedom of speech was downgraded from the seventh worst to the fourth worst, trailed by the autocratic North Korean regime ruled by Kim Jong Il. Of the number of journalists currently incarcerated, China ranks first around the world. In China, numerous people are detained or subjected to administrative disposition due to simply posting articles on the Internet. Even the promise the Chinese regime previously made to allow local and foreign journalists to have the freedom of interviewing anyone has yet to be realized. With China's human right situation is regressing in this way, it's not surprising that the "hostile forces" would take advantage of this excuse to attack it. The Chinese Communist regime can only blame itself for its political embarrassment.
Third, domestically, the Chinese regime has associated the success of the games with that of the Party. Using the Games as a morale booster, all of its propaganda has been completely in favor of the event. It has made it seem as though one hundred percent of the population is in support of the Olympic Games. It is somewhat reminiscent of when Saddam Hussein was elected president with one hundred percent of the votes. In the Chinese Communist regime's eyes, its failure to win the Olympic bid in the past was due to interference by hostile Western forces, and its winning the bid this time is symbolic of its success. If one opposes the 2008 Olympic Games, he may be charged as seriously as committing a crime of political offence. Moreover, it may even be regarded as being against the CCP, against socialism, and against the Chinese government. In this way, China has connected people's attitudes towards the Olympic Games and patriotism with their allegiance to the CCP.
In reality, many people in China do have their own viewpoints on hosting the Olympic Games. While the government has repeatedly proclaimed that it is a developing country, it has also announced that it will make all-out efforts to host the Olympic Games at any cost, regardless of China's national resources. Not only has it become an enormous project of vanity, but it has also turned into an endless abyss of corruption, with many powerful groups struggling for huge profit. However, Chinese media have never covered any different opinions on it, as anyone who has different views would be regarded as a political dissident.
Fourth, not long ago, some Tibetans displayed a banner opposing the 2008 Olympic Games on the Great Wall, but it was later reveled that were imprisoned, with their whereabouts unknown. When other countries hosted the Olympic Games, there was similar opposition. However, it is the people's right to express their opposing opinions, just as it is the government's right to host the event, and different opinions can co-exist peacefully. In democratic countries, it is normal to have this kind of scenario, as the Olympic Games is simply a sporting event. However, in the eyes of the Chinese Communist regime, it is a political event that needs to be dealt with cautiously and strictly.
To put it simply, the Chinese Communist regime is the one that politicizes things every day, while repeatedly proclaiming that others have attempted to politicize the Olympic Games in violation of Olympic spirit.
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