Nice Olympics you got there, it would be a shame if...
With every state affiliated media and China shill gushing about the triumph and beauty of the Winter Olympics, it seems a shame to rain on the parade. But I’m going to anyway.
I’m sorry, I just can’t. I know I’m supposed to be presenting an impartial view of current events from China’s perspective, but in general one has to admit that the Olympics are kind of insufferable. Unfettered nationalism aside, the Olympics is always a little bit cringey, especially when it’s not being held by a ‘cool’ country (RIP Tokyo 2020). Let’s forget the fact that even the biggest names in these sports are forgotten about by the general public for four years in between games. Let’s also forget that the IOC is an inherently corrupt institution, so hellbent on profiting that they can’t even bring themselves to punish nations who cheat with any conviction.
Today we’re not talking about the training camps where poor children have their childhoods stolen for a less than 1% chance at glory, with the rest doomed to obscurity. We’ll look past the fact that stadiums are built on the razed ruins of people’s homes, only to end up looking like this:
We’re turning a blind eye on the interactions between China and *checks notes* Chinese Taipei, including the decision to force them to attend the opening ceremony against their will. We’ll take the high road on the fact that even Chinese people think the food they’re serving is ‘disgusting’. Instead, we’re focusing on the lighthearted stuff - the cringe, the patriotism, the awkward bloopers with potential consequences for international diplomacy.
Considering how difficult it can be to host the Olympics, especially in a post(?)-pandemic world, let’s explore why Beijing has been so keen to promote the winter games, how they feel it's going, and how they’re mediating (read: censoring) any negative moments in the press and online.
Why did China want the Olympics so bad?
When I searched “Why does China want to host the Winter Olympics” on Baidu (literally: 中国为什么要举办冬奥会), I was quite surprised to find that another inquisitive mind had already posed this question and, even better, someone else had answered it in great detail. In fact, the first page of results on Baidu were basically all people asking the same question on different forums, or small news sites and blogs trying to come up with a decent answer.
The answers were surprisingly candid, to the point where I had to wonder if the authors know that people outside China can read Chinese. But then again, there’s nothing insidious about their answers; most of it is just good old fashioned patriotism laid bare. Their main arguments for hosting the games can be summarised as follows:
Assist in promoting the ‘Chinese Dream’
By getting large swathes of the population involved in winter sports and expanding the national winter sports market, China can now start making waves in that community as it already has in other areas of athletics such as gymnastics. In China’s view, sports are a great way to improve a country’s prestige, which is why they’ve invested so much in programmes like football, with the hopes of the national team qualifying for the World Cup in due course.
Though it’s more of a soft power play, China’s performance in international sports is directly related to efforts to improve its overall global standing. The Chinese Dream is less individualistic than its American counterpart. It’s essentially a call on all the people of the nation to work together to achieve national rejuvenation, restoring China to its rightful place as a leading player in the global community. This includes creating more world class athletes and sports idols, who will not only represent the country but give a good boost to internal morale.
Show a strong, positive image of China to the international community
According to the Chinese press, the US has been ‘smearing’ China non-stop over the past few years, leading some countries to even boycott the games. So the Winter Olympics is a chance to show the ‘real’ image of China to the world. By creating interesting opening and closing ceremonies, and making clever use of different technological methods to create venues, China is keen to show that Beijing deserves the honour of being the only ’Dual Olympic City’ in the world.
It’s also very intent on promoting its use of green energy in the games, part of their goal to achieve its dual carbon goals of reaching its carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Apparently all its venues are powered using green energy, either solar or wind, which will save around 11,000 tons of carbon emissions. By becoming a leading light in using renewable energy to host large-scale events, China hopes to combat some of the negative press it receives over its commitments to international climate change agreements.
Develop the economy and promote investment in colder regions
The Chinese press seems to believe that just by hosting the winter events, more interest will be driven in Winter sports, and thus colder, northern regions of the company will receive more investment both from businesses and tourists. They may not be wrong, as something similar happened after the Beijing 2008 Olympics, with the government’s explicit backing. Even though the Olympics were held in Beijing and not a well-known northern city like Harbin, the government still hopes that Beijing can act as a sort of ‘radiating’ city, proving that winter sports can be enjoyed outside of traditionally cold areas.
Though China acknowledges that most countries lose money after hosting the games, they’re determined to be different. Not only did they save money by renting some equipment and reusing old venues instead of building new ones, they have also made plans to transform current venues into businesses once the games are done. The Olympic village in Yanqing, for example, will be changed into a hotel complex, while the Ski and Jumping centres will be promoted as tourist attractions.
Promote a post-pandemic reality
No one loves sticking it to Japan more than China, and that includes in boasting how they were able to hold an open Olympics, while Japan’s Summer games languished with the lowest viewership in recorded history. More than lauding it over their neighbour, however, this event does provide China with a chance to play a major role in international diplomacy, especially after such a long period of tension and finger-pointing (often in China’s direction).
China believes that the Winter games are a way to bring the international community together after a long period of isolation, making the games a “landmark event” to show that humans can “surpass and overcome the epidemic”. It’s an opportunity for the global community to cooperate and work together to make something a success, and luckily for China they get to be the host of that event, and thus take credit for its smooth running and successful close.
Demonstrate China’s historic development and optimal political system
Of course, the event is also a chance for China to show the world just how far it's come. According to a Wenhuibao article entitled “From Beijing’s ability to host the Winter Olympics as scheduled, we can see ‘why China can’”, the Olympics not only shows the great leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, but also the clear advantages of the socialist system in general. As the first major international event to take place since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, China has shown remarkable resilience in ensuring a smooth preparation for the Winter Olympics, unlike certain other countries and their less than miraculous Summer Olympics. According to the article, this is a reflection of the strength of the Chinese nation in general:
Looking back at China’s developmental history, it is not difficult to find that the Party's leadership and the significant advantages of my country's socialist system have always been my country's greatest advantages. The Communist Party of China has united and led the Chinese people to work hard for a long time to build a moderately prosperous society in all aspects… completely solving the problem of absolute poverty, achieving major strategic achievements in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic, and embarking on a new era of building a modern socialist country…
Hosting a wonderful, extraordinary and outstanding Winter Olympics is a promise made by China to the world... The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics will show the world once again the Chinese character of "honouring and keeping promises" and the Chinese style of "believing in words and resolute in deeds".
China’s unique characteristic of being good people who know how to keep a promise, coupled with their determination to prove their system of governance is the best, form the foundation of their successful games. With their intentions stated that they want to impress the world and bring everyone together, the real question is, is it working?
The Winter Olympics are going…
Well. Really well, apparently. Executive Director of the International Olympic Committee Christophe Dubi openly praised the organisation of the games, stating that:
The operations were very successful from the very beginning. This says a lot about the quality of the organization, the attention to the details, but in particular, the organizers are doing everything to support the athletes. No athletes have said anything critical. On the contrary, they are all smiling and praising the quality of the venues, the quality of the organization, the quality of the accommodation and the food. When the athletes are satisfied, you cannot expect anything more.
The games have also been a success on a personal level for China. One of Xi Jinping’s goals set during the bid for the games was to get 300 million Chinese people involved in winter sports. Though this number seems high even for China, according to news sources millions of people have been attending skating rinks, ski slopes, and ice-climbing walls in a sort of ice-snow frenzy. This boom in business is great for tourist spots and sports facilities alike. This increase in activity not only boosts local economies and small businesses, but also the possible number of medals China will win at future games.
The impact on the consumer economy in China has also been highly praised in the press. Demand for the official games’ mascot, Bing Dwen Dwen, has led to people queuing outside merchandise stores in order to get a coveted porcelain figurine. Sales in sportswear are up, as are investments in companies that participated in merchandising or infrastructure building for the games.
Despite Beijing’s positivity however, there have been a few high-profile incidents that have put somewhat of a damper on the games. And, unfortunately, most of them seem to draw focus back on the ever-persistent problem of China-US relations, mainly because they seem to focus on a single question…
Wait, aren’t you American?
Two female Chinese athletes with connections to the US have caused a stir in the Chinese press and social media, but for completely different reasons.
Zhu Yi, a US-born figure skater, came under a torrent of social media backlash after falling and coming last in her event. 93 Weibo users had their accounts deleted for “launching personal attacks against athletes and their families on the grounds of winning or losing the game”. The Chinese press has defended her, noting that an athlete’s merit is not based on the number of wins they achieve, but admitting that netizens suspected that Zhu was only included on the Chinese team because of her family’s influence, and not due to her merit at all. Zhu has also been criticised for her poor Chinese skills, and her inability to hold back her tears when falling.
US-born ski jumper Eileen Gu, on the other hand, has had a completely different experience, winning the gold medal in her event and being universally praised . Like Zhu Yi, however, Gu is still subject to criticism by online citizens. When asked why she used Instagram, a platform banned in China, Gu responded with the glib line “Anyone can download a VPN, it’s literally free on the App Store.” Chinese netizens immediately hit back at the claim, with one stating “Literally, I’m not ‘anyone.’ Literally, it’s illegal for me to use a VPN. Literally, it’s not f**king free at all.”
Gu’s comments have unleashed torrents of debate on both Chinese and Western social media platforms, with people discussing every aspect of what she said from how it reflects her privilege (rich and well-educated Chinese often use VPNs to access sites ordinary citizens cannot), to how the CCP’s continued praise of Gu’s upbringing is an insult to the average Chinese family. For some, Gu is a potential symbol for international relations - a bridge, perhaps, between the US and China. For others, however, she is a tool to stoke tensions further. Often these opposing views appear within the same camp.
There’s no doubt that Gu is a member of China’s elite - despite being raised by a single mum, that single mum attended Stanford and had a high-paying Wall Street job. There was certainly enough money to send Eileen to cram schools in Beijing and ski schools in America. Interestingly, while Zhu Yi openly gave up her American citizenship in 2018/9, Gu’s official citizenship is still being called into question, with her repeatedly dodging the question when asked by the press.
The continued support of Gu shows that what’s more important to the Chinese government is that she is a prominent figure with the power to make money, promote Chinese athletics, and become a symbol for the nation. Parents around the country are already trying to live up to the almost impossible standards set by Gu’s mother, Gu Yan. Ultimately, these things are more important to the Chinese state than whatever bickering is taking place between some proles online.
At the end of the day, China is benefitting from those who skirt it’s ban on dual citizenship, and despite calls to change this law, as long as the elite members of society continue to take advantage of the global capitalist system to make China look good, then there’s simply no need to. Despite (or due to) Zhu Yi’s failure, Chinese media has become increasingly obsessed with Gu, writing about everything from what snacks she’s eating to what she’s doing on Valentine’s day. It’s understandable in a sense. China is currently 8th in the medals table, with only 4 gold medals, one of them being won by 20 year-old Gu. She’s on track to win at least another medal too, making her an even more valuable gem.
So China is able to defend itself against ‘haters’, both internal and external, and has so far avoided any major scandal. Smaller diplomatic incidents have created little awkward moments, for example a Korean athlete who, upon taking the silver medal place on the podium for the men’s speed skating event, decided to wipe it down first. The Chinese press has decided to interpret this as sour grapes over the fact that another Korean athlete was disqualified in an earlier event. Another potential negative event glossed over, overshadowed by the success of Chinese athleticism.
So, even from a Western perspective, it can’t be denied that overall the games are going well. Which begs the question…
What difference does it make?
It kind of feels like when it comes to China, hard lines in the sand have been drawn already. People who love China are enthusiastic about the games and support Beijing’s efforts wholeheartedly. Those who dislike or distrust China have voiced their opinions against the games, and are doing everything they can to point out any flaws or failures that crop up (this newsletter not included).
China promotes the games as if it’s trying to win friends and influence people, but it’s also focused on its own internal goals to promote patriotism and boost the economy. At the end of the day, China is only interested in combating what it sees as US disinformation as far as it prevents China from making new connections with developing countries, or maintaining connections with developed countries with which it already has established ties. When it comes to the battle for the hearts and minds of the world’s leaders, the battle was over once they’d decided whether or not to send diplomats to the opening ceremony.
What matters now is how China can use the success of the games to achieve success in other areas, economic and social. Including preparing a new generation of Eileen Gus to participate in the next round of Winter Olympic games in 4 years’ time.
Sources
Asia News, Olympics: homes forcibly destroyed, prison for those who request compensation
China Daily, Olympic star's success sets the bar high
China Daily, Xi's vision helps boost nation's winter sports
China Daily, Sour grapes can't mar Gao's achievement
Independent, Eileen Gu’s Instagram comment causes fury in China
Insider, A hotel manager called food at their Winter Olympics restaurant bubble 'disgusting'
Insider, China is spending billions to take over the world of football
International Olympic Committee, Beijing 2008 legacy dovetails with 2022 Winter Games to boost sports participation in China
Global Times, Sina Weibo suspends 93 accounts after figure skater Zhu Yi was cyber bullied due to Olympic debut stumble
Global Times, Why is Beijing the first and only 'Dual Olympic City' in the world?
NY Times, Russian athletes are again competing as R.O.C.
People’s Daily, World leaders coming for Winter Olympics share views on China
People’s Daily, Olympic fervor invigorates China's consumer, capital market
SCMP, Taiwan makes U-turn to let team attend Winter Olympics ceremonies
Shangyetu, 中国为何要举办这届冬奥会?两个方面告诉你 [Why is China hosting the Winter Olympics? We explain from two different perspectives]
Sports Pro Media, NBC’s Tokyo 2020 audience lowest since 1988 Olympics
The Economist, Look inside China’s secretive Olympic training camps [Video]
Wenhuibao, 从北京冬奥会如期举办看“中国为什么能” [From Beijing’s ability to host the Winter Olympics as scheduled, we can see “why China can”]