Beijing: countdown to an anti-climax

In debates with friends, I am usually critical of China and their drive towards becoming a world economic powerhouse. My point of contention is usually the short-sightedness of the men in power. The 2008 Olympics in Beijing is meant to be the country's showcase of their potential. And yet, the lead up to the event has only served to confirm what critics have expected of China.

China was awarded the 2008 Olympics back in 2001. In the past seven years, the country has worked furiously to build state-of-the-art venues and update infrastructure in anticipation of the event. What they have failed to make much, if any, progress on is their environmental and human rights records, which now threaten to make one of the world's biggest public relations event moot.

With seven years of preparation, China has had the time to clean up the air pollution problem. Yet, the marathon world record holder, Haile Gebrselassie recently stated that he is unlikely to compete in the 42 km race at the 2008 Olympics. As a sufferer of asthma, Gebrselassie fears that the pollution in Beijing might permanently hurt his performance, reducing his chances of besting his own record in the future. One might dismiss Gebrselassie's fears as those of a diva, but they are shared by lesser known athletes in other endurance sports. Olympic chief, Jacques Rogge himself made an unusually strong comment about the air pollution in Beijing on the occasion of the one year countdown to the start of the 2008 Olympics.

Supporters could point to the economic detriment of shutting down the offending factories as the reason why China has delayed environmental action. The fact is that no country puts on an Olympic event because it is profitable. China has already invested much money and effort into showing themselves off in the best possible light; the pollution problem should have been at the top of their image rehabilitation list.

As well, the pollution problem is not unacknowledged by China. Factories have already been shut down while others have been moved out of the city. Clearly, China was willing to tackle the problem and take the economic hit. I'm not sure if the continuing poor air quality in Beijing is the result of underestimating the problem or a lack of proper planning.

Another point on which China has been criticized repeatedly is their human rights record. Tibet is the obvious killjoy at the party with the repeat call by Tibetans and their supporters to be free of China's oppression. It is an old story that may get easily swept aside in the spectacle of the Olympics. Yet China has stirred up a hornet's nest with their recent crackdown on dissidents. In a bid to circumvent possible political humilition during the Games, China has arrested online bloggers - 51, as of January 2008 - and placed other political activists under house arrest. These acts of prevention seem to do as much, if not more, damage to the image of China as any obscure, freedom loving blogger. China is playing the role of the villain exactly as detractors had predicted seven years ago.

Yet, in spite of the lacklustre environmental effort and the hyperactive vigilance over dissidents, the 2008 Olympics will proceed much as any other. Haile Gebrselassie has already stated that he will run in the 10,000 m event. Tibetan activists will find a way to picket the games. In the end, there will be no showdown; the sound and fury of both Beijing supporters and critics will come to nothing, and the 2008 Olympics will fade in memory into the usual flurry of flags and limbs.