China Threatens UK, Australia and USA Over Games Boycott

The UK and Canada have the diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, citing concerns over China’s human rights record. 

The US, UK and Australia will “pay the price for their mistaken acts” after deciding not to send government delegations to the Winter Olympics, China’s foreign ministry has said. 

“The United States, Britain and Australia have used the Olympics platform for political manipulation”

said Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson at the Chinese foreign ministry. Reuters reports.

China is not worried about a “domino effect” of diplomatic boycotts of the Winter Olympics. “Most countries in the world have expressed support for the Beijing Winter Olympics,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a daily news conference today. Reuters reports.

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US Diplomats Boycott 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing

US diplomats are to boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. The White House said no official U.S. delegation would be sent to the Games because of concerns about China’s human rights record, and “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang.” U.S. athletes however have the government’s full support to attend the Games. BBC News reports.

China has threatened President Biden’s administration with retaliation over the diplomatic boycott and has warned that the move could harm bilateral relations. 

“The wrong move of the U.S. has undermined the foundation and atmosphere for China-U.S. sports exchanges and Olympic cooperation. It has shot itself in the foot. The U.S. should understand the grave consequences of its move,” 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a news conference. Zhao also said that China had made “solemn representation” to the U.S. and vowed to take “resolute countermeasures.” Nectar Gan reports for CNN.

 

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Let The Train Take The Strain - Radical ROK Proposal

 

NK News reports that South Korean unification minister Lee In-young said he wants to send the country’s athletes and cheerleaders to the 2022 Beijing Winter Games using a railway that would pass through North Korean land. The idea itself is more than a decade old, but with just 10 months until the Beijing Olympics, Seoul is gunning for sports diplomacy and other projects to improve inter-Korean relations.

“Depending on what we do, I think the door is still open for dialogue and cooperation.

The Ministry of Unification will do its best to create momentum for reversing [the direction of] inter-Korean relations during the first half of 2021.”

If agreed upon, the train would depart Seoul Station, head to the inter-Korean border station of Dorasan, cross the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and head towards North Korea’s capital city of Pyongyang. After North Koreans get on board and join the South Korean delegation, the train would then head to Sinuiju — a North Korean city at the border of China — and then towards Beijing, where the Olympic games will be held. As Lee sees it, the ride could create a “very symbolic moment” in history.

However, this would require the approval of the USA.

Former unification minister Jeong Se-hyun supports the inter-Korean railroad, but said it likely won’t happen unless relations between Washington and Pyongyang improve.

“Picking North Koreans up and then going to Beijing together — that’s the dream.

But the most important factor here is the United States. Even if North Korea gets on board with the train … The final say on whether the train will be allowed through the Demilitarized Zone is with, unfortunately, the U.S. Forces Korea commander.”

 

 

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Make It Rain

It is estimated that there is a 50/50 chance of it raining on the opening day of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and a further 50/50 chance of it raining on the closing day.

China does not intend to take any chances with the weather, and is going to attempt to make it rain in the period before the games; thus reducing the chances of precipitation on the opening and closing days. Rain will also help clean up the air, in one of Asia most polluted atmospheres.

Chinese meteorologists believe that they can force rain in the days before the Olympics, via the unreliable "science" of cloud-seeding.

Good luck.

Olympic Protesters Detained

Three Americans and a Tibetan-American were detained by Chinese authorities on Mount Everest yesterday, as they called for independence for Tibet and protested against the Beijing Olympics.

The protest was organised by Students for a Free Tibet, which said three people were detained for holding up a banner at a base camp on the Tibetan side of the mountain that read:

One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008.

The fourth person detained by Chinese authorities was a camera person.

"One World, One Dream" is the slogan of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Torch To Ascend Everest

The Olympic torch for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will ascend to the top of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, and pass through Taiwan according to the organising committee.

Wang Wei, executive vice-president and secretary-general of the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, said that the torch would cross Mount Everest.

Wang also said Taiwan had agreed that the island would be on the Olympic torch relay programme.

Taiwan had previously indicated that it was not agreeable to the torch entering the island via China's mainland or Hong Kong and Macao, which are special administrative regions of China.

Wang said the route of the relay was still under discussion with interested cities.

China's One Ticket Policy

The 7 million tickets for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing are now available for purchase. However, because of China's massive population of 1.3BN, tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies will be limited to only one per person.

Only 25% of the 7 million tickets for sale are available to non residents of China.

The most expensive tickets will be for the opening ceremony on August 8th 2008, which will cost $645. The cheapest tickets for that event will be $26.

Ticket prices for the closing ceremony will range from $19.40 to $390.

Chinese Ban Chinglish

In the run up to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Chinese authorities are trying to crack down on "Chinglish" a mangled version of English that is often seen on notices and used by taxi drivers.

One example being this billboard sign:

"Shangri-La is in you mind, but your Buffalo is not."

The Chinese are conscious of the fact that around 500,000 foreign visitors will come to Beijing next year, and the Chinese want to give a good impression.

Liu Yang, head of the "Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Program" for the city government, said that 6,500 "standardised" English language signs were put up last year on Beijing roads.

However, it is evident that the private sector is not following the rules.

Liu told journalists:

"We will pass the message on to authorities in the advertising sector. If English translation is needed it must be subject to the standards set forth in the regulations.

In the future when we set up new signs in public places in English, we hope all these standards will be followed to avoid more additional mistakes."

Liu said Beijing taxi drivers have to pass an English test to keep their licenses. However, as I can attest having been in Beijing a few weeks ago not all of the drivers have such a great command of English.

Liu is quoted as saying:

"The taxi training courses are not working effectively, and there is a problem of taxi drivers missing classes. Taxi drivers need to get their licenses renewed every year, and an English test is now part of that exam. But the exam is not so difficult.

Some taxi drivers do speak some English, and that's a big change from the past.

But the overall level still needs to improve. Some taxi drivers speak no English; they understand no English."

However, there is nothing to stop the foreign guest trying to learn Chinese.

Safe Water For Beijing Games

Jiao Zhizhong, the head of the Beijing Water Authority, is confident its water quality will meet or surpass Olympic water quality standards in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Five new sewage treatment plants will be installed this year.

Jiao Zhizhong said that 80% homes have water-saving equipment installed, and that farms are irrigating more conservatively.

When the Olympics begin in August 2008, Beijing will receive an extra 79 million gallons of water from the nearby Hebei province.

China's Olympic Traffic Jam

Chinese media claim that Beijing's horrendous traffic situation will get worse, as the Olympics 2008 draw closer.

The official Xinhua news agency said that Beijing has more than 2,000,000 registered vehicles, and over 4,000,000 people have a drivers licence. Officials predict the number of cars will exceed 3,000,000 by the time of the 2008 Olympic Games.

The increase in cars will worsen Beijing's already chronic levels of air pollution.

More Drug Tests for 2008 Games

Approximately 4,500 drug tests will be conducted during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. This represents a rise of 25%, compared with the 2004 Games in Athens.

Yang Shu'an, the executive vice president of the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) said:

"As part of its zero tolerance approach to fighting doping, the International Olympic Committee has decided to increase the number of tests by a large amount.

Final numbers are to be confirmed but are expected to be around 4,500, a 25 percent increase on Athens 2004."

Beijing is holding an exhibition entitled "The Olympic Movement and Anti-doping Drive" The exhibition highlights a number of drug cases from previous years, and shows a video display of the anti drug test process.

Similar exhibitions will be held in 2007 and 2008 in various parts of China.

Construction Continues During Olympics

Beijing has confirmed that its construction projects will continue during the 2008 Olympics, even though there are serious concerns about the air quality and pollution levels in the city.

The majority of the Olympic venues will be completed before the end of the 2007.

Deputy director of Project Management for the Beijing Olympics, Xu Bo, confirmed that there have been cost overruns on some Olympic building projects, with some contractors facing bankruptcy.

Quote:

"It is true that certain construction companies are having problems with the fact that their actual spending on certain venues is beyond the expectation in their bid, and we are paying close attention to this issue. However, we are confident there will be no problems, because all the construction companies selected for the construction work of all the big projects for the Olympics, are first class enterprises in our country and we have done a strict inspection of their capability of implementing the contracts and they all passed our examination of qualification."

Executive deputy director of Project Management for 2008 Beijing Olympics, Sui Zhenjiang, said:

"The construction projects in Beijing will continue to be developed both before the Olympics and after it and they would not be stopped for the opening ceremony of the Olympics because every project has its own economic background and will be developed naturally.

However, before the Olympics, or during the process of the Olympics, we will conduct strict management to some projects in specific areas such as the places near the Olympic venues so as to make the air quality of Beijing better."

They of course haven't said how they will do this though.

Auditors Keep an Eye on Olympics

Li Jinhua, China's head auditor, has stated that he will be exercising special scrutiny of construction projects in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Li will also place emphasis on auditing social security funds and other big projects.

Last year auditors uncovered US$909M in illegally used social security funds, including a scandal in Shanghai that led to the sacking of city Party Secretary Chen Liangyu.

A former Beijing deputy mayor, Liu Zhihua, who was in charge of US$40BN in Olympic construction funds, was fired last year for alleged corruption.

Increasing auditing oversight is an important measure to ensure a "clean" Olympics, Li said.

The Clean Olympics

Liu Qi, secretary of the Chinese Communist Party's Beijing Municipal Committee, promised a "clean" 2008 Olympics.

This promise comes one day after the party expelled Liu Zhihua, the Beijing vice mayor in charge of Olympic construction projects. He has been accused of bribery and other offences.

Liu Zhihua took bribes of "several million yuan" and "helped his mistress to seek profit in projects".

Liu Qi said:

"We must tighten auditing and monitoring efforts on the preparatory work of the Olympics to prevent all potential problems. Efforts must be made to ensure that staff members involved in the Olympic preparations and venue construction projects remain on track, and make sure the Olympics are clean."

Lucrative projects, such as the Olympics, do seem to bring out the worst in people.

The True Cost of The Olympics

It is reported that Beijing intends to demolish 22 remaining "urban villages", which are home mainly to poor migrants, as it "cleans up" in readiness for the 2008 Olympic Games.

The villages will be demolished by the end of June 2007.

The destruction of the "urban villages" are part of the greening programme to "create a better environment for the Olympic Games".

Beijing denies that they are trying to force poor migrants out of the city before the Olympics.

Over the past 10 years, as Beijing maked ready to host the 2008 Games, many residents have accused developers of using violence to evict people unwilling to move.

Such is the price people have to pay, if they wish to host the Olympics. Sponsorship and advertising deals come before people's rights and liberties.

China Relaxes Rules

China has announced that it will relax some of its restrictions on foreign reporters. It says that it will allow foreign media greater freedom to travel and report in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The regulations will come into effect on 1 January 2007, and will temporarily abolish requirements that currently prohibit foreign reporters from traveling or conducting interviews without government approval.

The new rules state that only the consent of the interview subject is needed.

Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, said:

"It is crystal clear that as long as the interviewee agrees, you can do your reporting."

Melinda Liu, president of the Foreign Correspondents Club of China and Beijing bureau chief for Newsweek, said:

"In general, this is progress in terms of liberalizing the conditions under which foreign journalists work in China."

However, the new Olympic regulations contain loopholes and expire on October 17th 2008.

Liu, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said:

"Foreign journalists will not limit their activities to the Games themselves. They will also cover politics, science, technology and the economy.

The 'related matters' ... actually expands the areas on which foreign journalists can report."

The question is, what will happen after the 17th of October 2008?

More Doping Tests

The IOC are increasing their precautions against doping in the forthcoming 2008 Beijing Olympics. Athletes will face more testing for performance enhancing drugs at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with a 25% increase in the number of tests to be conducted.

The IOC said that the number of tests would be raised to 4,500 in 2008, 25% more than in 2004 Athens Games, "as part of its zero-tolerance approach to fighting doping."

Cars and Trucks To Be Banned

Kevan Gosper, Vice-Chairman of the Coordination Commission for the Beijing Olympics, has claimed that Beijing is prepared to stop private cars and trucks from driving and to shut down industry, if that's what is needed to cut pollution during the 2008 Beijing Games.

The joys of a one party state!

When pressed in the interview, on political issues such as Falun Gong, he adopted the ostrich position of head in the sand. As noted the Olympics is about money, not sport.

To read the interview visit ABC.

Beijing Works on Olympics Air Quality

The Chinese authorities are setting up special working groups in Beijing, and four surrounding regions, to ensure good air quality during the 2008 Olympics.

The groups will be set up in Beijing, Shanxi, Tianjin, Hebei and Inner Mongolia.

Zhang Lijun, deputy director of the State Environmental Protection Administration, said that they would look for new ways to deal with air pollution so as to ensure good air quality during the 2008 Olympics.

it is hoped that research, currently being conducted, will result in new measures to ensure good air quality during the games.

Pei Chenghu, deputy director of Beijing Environmental Protection Administration, said that pollution in Beijing is a problem for the region, and improving air quality must involve the entire region.

Local statistics show that by the end of August, Beijing had 166 'blue sky' days, 72 days short of its target for the year.