Talking Points: Olympolitics 2008 - Beijing

Democracy in China? The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) survived pro-democracy movement in 1989 and has been in power in China for over 50 years. It is the world’s largest political party with more than 70 million members, but that figure represents only 5.5% of the Chinese population.

• Some feel prospects have never been better for democracy in China.
• There were 87,000 protests in China in 2005, some very violent
• 20% of Chinese university graduates in 2007 remain unemployed
• China has promised to keep the Olympics open in every aspect, but has denied the Visa of Team Darfur organizers, including Olympic Gold Medal Speed Skater Joey Cheek. China has also increased surveillance and shutdown many online journalists during the Olympics.
• Many journalists were thrown out of the uprising in Tibet last March. Many human rights activists in China are jailed for their work.

China’s Human Rights Record: China promised complete openness for foreign journalists and to improve its human rights record before the games. Amnesty International has noted an increase in human rights abuses since China was awarded the Olympics. Is China cleaning up its act?

• China has come under scrutiny from international groups because of its oil ties to the Sudanese government, which is responsible for genocide in Darfur and the displacement of more than 2.5 million people. China has been resistant to UN Security Council resolutions condemning Khartoum.
• China’s suppression of protests in Tibet turned violent earlier this year. The Protest began March 10 on the anniversary of a failed 1959 Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule. The Chinese took Tibet by force in 1951. The exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama, has met many times with Beijing urging greater religious and cultural freedom for Tibet.
• The CCP continues to suppress journalists and political opposition, as well as protests.
• Although Amnesty International noted an increase in human rights violations in China, Chinese authorities want AI to take into account their new economic policies which have brought millions of people out of poverty.

“Ping Pong Diplomacy”

• In the 1970’s a Ping Pong match between China and the U.S. thawed relations between the two countries and led to a visit of China by President Richard Nixon. The event coined the term “Ping Pong Diplomacy”, which denotes a sports exchange that helps to improve inter-nation relations.
• Cultural Diplomacy or “sports” diplomacy encourages people-to-people exchanges:
• The North Korean National Taekwon-Do Demonstration Team last year did a Goodwill Tour of the United States, impressing crowds of Taekwon-Do fans across the nation.
• This summer, the NBA is hosting U.S.-Iranian basketball games.
• Last February, the New York Philharmonic took a trip to the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)
• In 1989, the Soviet national baseball team visited the U.S.
• In January of 2007, U.S. wrestlers visited Iran.

“Can the Olympics Democratize China?” (“Moji”, Foreign Policy in Focus, August 4, 2008)

“Why Dissing China Ought Not to Become An American Sport” (Steve Clemons, The Washington Note, October 2007)

“Breaking Taboos: Mixing Sports and Politics with Team Darfur” (John Beckett, Foreign Policy in Focus, August 1, 2008)

“Heroes of Beijing: The Triumph of the West” (Alan Bairner, Foreign Policy in Focus, July 30, 2008)

“State of Surveillance: Big Brother on the mainland has become more efficient at watching your every move” (Jerome A. Cohen, South China Morning Post, August 7, 2008)

“China’s Jailed Champions” (Jerome A. Cohen, South China Morning Post – Council on Foreign Relations, July 26, 2008)

“Charm Offensive: How China’s Soft Power is Transforming the World” (Josh Kurlantzick, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Publisher – Yale University Press, 2007)

Amnesty International China and the Olympics

“People’s Republic of China: The Olympics countdown – broken promises” (Amnesty International, July 29, 2008)

News and Other Web Resources:

Essay: Special agents at the Olympics: Diplomatic Security Service helps keep games safe (Donna Scaramastra Gorman, Christian Science Monitor, August 5, 2008)

“China’s Olympic Challenge: A Case of Dignity” (Nancy Pelosi, San Francisco Chronicle, August 3, 2008)

“China’s Repression of Civil Society Will Haunt It” (Minxin Pei, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, August 4, 2008)

“Rumors and Riots” (Minxin Pei, International Herald Tribune, July 8, 2008)

“Olympic Pressure on China” (Preeti Bhattacharji and Carin Zissis, Council on Foreign relations, June 17, 2008)

Rings: 2008 Beijing Olympics Blog, New York Times

Report: Protests over Beijing home evictions (Associated Press, CNN Asia, August 4, 2008)

“China Blames Attack on Muslim Separatists” (Edward Wong and Andrew Jacobs, New York Times, August 5, 2008)

“Getting in Shape for Games, China Strengthens Ties With Neighbors” (Edward Wong, New York Times, August 5, 2008)

“Beneath Veneer of Zeal, Beijingers Have Olympic Issues” (Andrew Jacobs, New York Times, August 5, 2008)

“Hundreds of websites still censored at Beijing Olympics” (Los Angeles Times Entertainment Blog “Web Scout”, August 5, 2008)

“China tightens security following attack in west” (William Foreman, Associated Press, August 5, 2008)

“Terrorism in China” Q&A’s (Tania Branigan, The Guardian, August 5, 2008)

“Bush gives mixed appraisal of China ahead of visit” (Reuters, The Guardian, August 4, 2008)

“Olympics Host China Comes Under Fire for Human Rights Concerns” (Talea Miller, NewsHour on PBS, August 5, 2008)

“China Terrorizes Tibet” (Editorial, New York Times, March 18, 2008)

Amnesty International Releases on China