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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Opinion
Lijia Zhang
Lijia Zhang

Why China deserves to host the 2022 Winter Olympics

  • Boycotts of sporting events fail to achieve political goals and only harm the athletes
  • Research suggests the 2008 Olympics had positive effects on China’s society, economy and environment, and Beijing’s hosting of the Winter Olympics will continue to expand the role of sport in the country

On a gentle night in September 1993, right in front of Tiananmen Square, I witnessed one of the biggest premature celebrations in history. When the International Olympic Committee started to thank the bidders for the right to host the 2000 Summer Olympics, the name “Beijing” was uttered through a loud speaker.

The enthusiastic crowds who gathered there, so confident of Beijing’s victory, gave wild cheers. Fountains went off briefly until the authorities realised that Sydney had actually been granted the honour and stopped the flow. I was bitterly disappointed, like everyone else.

Eight years later, China’s bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics was successful. Following the winning announcement, a wild celebration ensued with joyful dancing, the deafening noise of firecrackers, laughter and ecstatic cries. Among the crowds, I felt the sense of jubilation and their longing for recognition from the world.

In a few weeks, Beijing will host the 24th Winter Olympics, which will make China’s capital the world’s first city to host both the Summer and Winter Games. Yet, the calls for a boycott from human rights advocacy groups and others are growing ever louder over accusations of the persecution of Uygurs in Xinjiang, a crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong and other human rights violations.
At risk of being labelled a “running dog of the Chinese government” – I have been accused of being a “running dog of the West” in China many times – I would still like to say: please let Beijing have the Games.

02:14

China, IOC to ban overseas spectators from 2022 Olympic Winter Games

China, IOC to ban overseas spectators from 2022 Olympic Winter Games
To start with, hosting the upcoming Games wasn’t exactly a piece of juicy meat that everyone fought over. Four of the initial six applicants dropped out, leaving Beijing to compete with Almaty, the former capital of Kazakhstan, hardly a beacon of democracy.

China won, with its excellent infrastructure, existing venues and powerful financial backing from the government.

I certainly appreciate the issues raised by human rights activists. Besides Xinjiang and Hong Kong, there are also issues with Taiwan, Tibet and the recent disappearance of tennis star Peng Shuai, who accused a senior politician of sexual assault. I believe these issues should be dealt with, but I am not sure if a boycott is the best way to do so.

There is a long, messy history of boycotting the Olympics. Consider the United States’ boycott of the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics, which US president Jimmy Carter initiated to protest against Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan the year before.

The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) issued an apology to its athletes in 2020, saying the boycott “had no impact on the global politics of the era and instead only harmed you”.

Susan Brownell, a professor at the University of Missouri-St Louis, is a well-known authority on Chinese sports. She was an athlete in 1980 and competed in the US Olympic Trials in track and field. She felt athletes were pawns used by their government.

“I agree with the position of the [International Olympic Committee] and the USOPC,” Brownell said in an email interview. “Boycotts do not achieve political goals and only harm the athletes.” She said she opposes boycotts and embargoes as a matter of principle. “I think engagement is always better.”

I cannot agree with her more. Full participation in the Olympics will also serve as a chance to showcase American values.

Take a look at the sports legacy of the 2008 Olympics: increased mass sports participation in China. For many years, Chinese authorities made elite sports and winning medals the priority. In the lead-up to the 2008 Games, however, an effort was made to develop participation in sport.
Outdoor gyms were installed in neighbourhoods across the country. Following the Games, sports for all started to gain momentum. The government made August 8 – the opening day of the 2008 Olympics – National Fitness Day in 2009, accompanied by legislation on creating sports for all.
People perform tai chi as part of a National Fitness Day event in Rongan, in southwestern Guizhou province, on August 8, 2017. National Fitness Day has been held on August 8 every year since 2009 to mark the anniversary of the opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Photo: AFP

In 2020, Shushu Chen of the University of Birmingham and her collaborators examined the long-term inspirational effects of sporting megaevents on participation in sport and physical activity.

Their survey of Beijing residents found 73 per cent of respondents believed hosting the 2008 Olympics inspired them to increase their sports participation and about 65 per cent had tried new sports.

Beijing’s hosting of the Winter Olympics will continue to expand the role of sport in the country. The authorities have set the goal of having 300 million people taking part in winter sports. That’s in line with the Olympic spirit, isn’t it?

There is strong public support for the Games, though perhaps not as high as the 90 per cent claimed by the government.

Judging by a straw poll I conducted among my WeChat friends, I sensed that some worry about the spread of Covid-19 while others feel hosting the Winter Olympics does not make economic sense. Overall, though, it seems most Chinese love the idea.
In early December, the US announced it would not to send an official delegation to China. Other countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and Lithuania have followed suit.

01:10

Canteen robots serve noodles at Beijing Olympic Winter Games

Canteen robots serve noodles at Beijing Olympic Winter Games

The Games are supposed to bring all nations together for competition, camaraderie and friendship. A diplomatic boycott, though less damaging than a full boycott, is not in line with this spirit.

Historically, the Olympics have made a positive, long-lasting impact. Japan hosting the Olympics in 1964 and South Korea in 1988 helped democratise the two countries.

The same will not happen in China, but research suggests that the 2008 Olympics had positive effects on China’s society, economy and environment.

In my view, the Olympics are about sports and athletes. If the Chinese people support hosting the Games and can also benefit from it, then I am all for it. The people deserve it.

Lijia Zhang is a rocket-factory worker turned social commentator, and the author of a novel, Lotus

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