2008: Summer Olympics, Beijing
Beijing will be the host of the 29th Olympiad, to be celebrated from August 8 to 24, 2008.
The government of China sees the games as a great chance to display the country's economic
growth and emergence as a world power. The Games involved the construction of thirty-one
venues in Beijing, six venues in other regions, fifty-nine training centers, and the expansion of the subway
system to twice its previous size.
The Beijing Olympics
Organizing Committee stated in 2006 that it expected to sell over 7 million tickets for the events, most of them
to a domestic public.
Unfortunately, China will simultaneously have to deal with issues of
environmental degradation and human rights violations. The levels of air pollution in Beijing have caused particular
concern, over both athletic performance and the welfare of the population. Several organizations have proposed to
boycott the Games to exert pressure on the Chinese government for better governance.
Links:
Official Website of the Beijing Olympics
International Olympic Committee
Reporters without Borders on the Beijing Olympics