Hikado

The Olympics in China is two months away. Seeing the games being hosted in Beijing it makes me proud to say I am Chinese. Despite the controversy over their style of governing, I personally believe had they denied China this opportunity it would have only force China into a deeper level of isolation.

Historically states such as Japan received support and assistance from countries like the United States to help them achieve greater openess. As a member of the United Nations and NATO, you'd expect to receive ecouragement and support from sister nations in this consortum. Hosting the Olympic Games will bring more openness to China. There are already signs of this occur as a result of the tragic Sichuan earthquake in China. The PRC's willingness to allow live media coverage of the natural disaster shows their willingness to embrace change and possibly democratic reforms in the fututre.

China has taken steps to strengthen their economy by investing in the construction of a $4.2 million dollar railway that opened in June 2006. A section of the rail line stops in Tibet. This transportation system will bring a large influx of traffic into the region thus bring prosperity to Tibet. Strengthing the state's economy is a cruical component of China's plan to have a greater degree of democracy in their country.

It saddens me to hear how Tibetan protesters are advocating against the PRC and their poor track recording involving torture and the lack of free speech when they themselves are also guilty of the same crime. During the Olympic Torch relay in Paris, Tibetan protestors violently attacked atheletes as they ran bearing a symbol of peace in their hands. On one hand, these protestors openly preach peace and non-violence, yet they are harming innocent people. The Olympic games is suppose to be a neutral event that is not political. These protestors need to learn not to make a non-political event into a political one. The purpose of the games is to foster sportsmanship by bring a diverse group of people together with one similar passion for sports.