As '08 Olympic Vote Nears, All Eyes Focused On Beijing

The IOC tomorrow in Moscow will vote on the '08 Olympic host city, and in Toronto, James Christie writes that international "pressure is heating up" against Beijing, as Moscow police "arrested a group of protesting Tibetans Wednesday in the latest criticism of China's human-rights record" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 7/12). The AP writes that the IOC "sees itself as a force that can change the world. It's about to decide whether that force is worth a great risk — and perhaps an even greater reward" (AP, 7/12). A SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS editorial: "The IOC is supposed to make its selection based on merits, but it's hard to ignore the political ramifications the choice will have" (EXPRESS-NEWS, 7/12). A CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR editorial: "The last thing the [IOC] needs now ... is to inject politics into its quadrennial selection of a site for the Summer Games. ... The IOC can fulfill its peaceful purpose by choosing the best city for athletes from around the world to live up to Olympic ideals" (C.S. MONITOR, 7/12).

OUT IN FRONT: A consultant to one of the bid cities said Beijing "will be in the lead in the first ballot but I do not expect it to pick up many of the votes from the cities that drop out" (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 7/12). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Peter Wonacott writes that in bid city Beijing, there "is no blaring press coverage, no officials touting city virtues, and no big party plans — at least not in public. ... The sudden shift underscores how Beijing is preparing people for a potential loss in Moscow, with toned-down expectations aiming to cushion a possible blow to government prestige" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/12). But USA TODAY's Paul Wiseman writes that Beijing "has been seized by Olympics frenzy. The boulevards are lined with banners carrying Beijing's Olympic logo and motto: 'New Beijing, Great Olympics'" (USA TODAY, 7/12). ABC displayed a graphic stating China will spend $20B for the '08 Olympics while Australia spent $1B for the '00 Olympics (ABC, 7/11).

IS BEIJING DESERVING? In N.Y., Jere Longman asks, "Is the I.O.C. secure enough as an organization to gamble on Beijing?" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/12). A Bergen RECORD editorial states that the IOC "has always said that nations are awarded the games not on the basis of their political policies, but on the basis of whether they're qualified to hold a successful Olympics" (Bergen RECORD, 7/12). A SALT LAKE TRIBUNE editorial states, "The IOC ... can't deny China the Olympics based on its politics" (S.L. TRIBUNE, 7/12). SLOC President Mitt Romney, on Beijing: "Clearly, the human-rights abuses are disturbing. But I am encouraging us as a country, as the one superpower, to realize that this is a unique time in the history of the world and at times like this, I believe we should look for opportunities to build bridges, not walls" (ROCKY MTN NEWS, 7/12). CNNSI.com's Frank Deford wrote, "The Olympics are often given more credit than they deserve. ... Rather than being some sort of agent of metamorphosis, the Olympics tend to be a pretty picture postcard that, once mailed, has no lasting effect. ... Rarely does sport change bad things" (CNNSI.com, 7/11). A CHICAGO SUN-TIMES editorial states, "To reject China out of hand would be to reject the world's most populated nation with 1.3 billion people" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 7/12).

GOING AGAINST BEIJING: A N.Y. TIMES editorial: "In a more humane world, the I.O.C. would bar China from serving as an Olympic host nation" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/12). A DETROIT NEWS editorial states that the IOC "ought to reject Beijing's bid. ... The Olympics are not an entitlement to which all nations can lay equal claim; they are a privilege that ought to be reserved for states that adhere to minimum principles of justice and human rights" (DET. NEWS, 7/12). An OTTAWA CITIZEN editorial stated under the header: "Anywhere But Beijing": "Until China's leaders no longer rely on repression and the executioner's bullet to keep themselves in power, Beijing must not be given the honour of playing host to any Olympics" (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 7/11).

Print This Article