As the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics draw ever closer, America, the International Olympic Committee and the rest of the world have begun to look at the problems facing the communist country. As athletes prepare to participate in their respective events, organizers and officials both in and out of China are doing their best to prepare the country to host the world. Unfortunately, China is presented with myriad problems, more than most host countries face. What are some of these problem areas that could potentially ruin the Olympics?
1. Population problems
Its hard enough for the Chinese government to house, feed, and compensate 1.3 billion citizens. Now that the world will be coming the metropolitan areas of the country, this spells disaster. China already deals with massive traffic issues. Streets are crowded, and citizens have difficulty getting from one place to another. Now throw the rest of the world on top of the already problematic traffic issues. China must come up with a tough solution. The government already asked its citizens to refrain from driving during the Olympics. How will the government enforce the request? That is yet to be seen. Millions have been spent on improvements to mass transportation, yet the system still appears to be insufficient. (Cedar City Daily News, Associated Press)
2. Pollution issues
China is in the middle of its industrial revolution. 1.3 billion people, an emerging industrial economy, and many new, unregulated manufacturing facilities will make for some of the poorest air quality in Olympic history. International Olympic Committee (IOC) members are worried. The poor air quality would impede athletes respiratory systems, preventing peak performance. The air quality will also create disdain for tourists who come to watch the Olympics. Even though the Chinese government is doing its best to meet IOC air quality expectations, the process has proved to be difficult. Jon Kolb, an environmental physiologist from Canada, brought a small monitoring device and visited several stadiums, while sneaking into others to measure pollution. “We’re worried,” Kolb said. Of Beijing air pollution, he added: “There’s no doubt about it. It’s off the charts.” The government has cut down on the number of coal burning furnaces and manufacturing facilities found within the city, but the growing number of polluting vehicles that move into the major cities continue to increase. The Chinese government is still working on this issue. (www.iht.com)
3. Human Rights Issues
China has been the subject of many human rights issues. The IOC created an organization, the Olympic Watch, back in 2001 to ensure that China improved its human rights dilemmas before it hosts the 2008 Olympics. The Olympic Watch has done its best to ensure that China improves its stand on free speech, the use of the death penalty in a biased court system, the communist governments stand on the countries of Tibet and Taiwan (both technically under Chinese rule), and many other human rights abuses practiced in China. For more information on Chinese human rights and the Olympics, visit www.olympicwatch.org
4. Chinese food safety
The United States Olympic committee has been criticized by the Chinese Olympic committee for stating that the American athletes will bring their own food. China has been through numerous food-related recalls and scares as of late, and the Olympic organizers from many countries are worried. In fact, the US is not the only country to have said that it will likely bring its own food for its athletes. Many other countries have been worried about the safety of the countries food ever since pesticides used in Chinese crops made thousands ill in Japan. ( www.timesonline.co.uk )
5. The Chinese citizens themselves
As terrible as this issue sounds, China has made a big deal of its own people. Particularly focusing on those that will provide transportation during the Olympics, such as taxi drivers, the government has emphasized the importance of personal hygiene. The government wants its people to be as presentable as possible. However, this too will be difficult to enforce. (Associated Press)
China may prove to be a disaster for the IOC unless these issues can be resolved. As hard as China and the IOC are working on resolving the issues, China may not have been given enough time. Will the Olympics in Beijing be a success this year? Only time will tell.
