Controversies and Contradictions

Overview

The 2008 Beijing Olympics were certainly not free of controversy, with many issues arising before, during, and after the games took place. In many of these controversies there was clear contradiction with the Confucian and Taoist messages the Chinese government attempted to convey. Among these controversies, the most notable ones were human rights violations, air pollution issues, and a lip syncing incident in the opening ceremony.

Human Rights Violations

Despite its messages about harmony, benevolence, and unity, the Chinese government increased their control and suppression over Tibet and Xinjiang. Protests were met with excessive military force, religious repression was increased, and constant surveillance was put in place. These controversies directly contradicted the messages of harmony between ruler and subject and tianxia that the Chinese government was trying so hard to convey. It also shows a lack of care for leadership through virtue and wuwei, two other important Confucian principles. Additionally, in order to accommodate their goal of a High-tech Olympics, many old buildings and apartments were demolished to beautify the city. While this led to a general improvement in infrastructure for Beijing, the side effect was that an estimated 1.5 million people, many of them being migrant workers, were displaced. This again indicates that the advocacy for the Confucian principles of harmony and equality that the Chinese government preached through the Olympics were merely an appropriation to be used selectively when it fits their goals. Their aim was to achieve harmony with global visitors and viewers who could help their goal of achieving more global power, but their own citizens who could not help them with this goal were cast aside.

Air Pollution

When Beijing was bidding for the right to host the Olympics in 2001, it was in close competition with Mexico City as the most polluted capital city in the world. As part of the requirements to host the Olympics, Beijing had to improve its environmental friendliness, particularly their air pollution problem. This sparked a major initiative by the Beijing government, implementing many policies such as increasing public transportation options, increasing the price of gasoline to discourage people from driving, and only allowing cars to drive on the road every other day during the games. This led to a significant decrease in air pollution during the games, but there were no notable lasting impacts. The controls and results were merely temporary, and Beijing remains as one of the cities with the worst air pollution today. This called into question the Chinese government’s commitment to sustainable development, or if it was just a bandaid fix so that the Olympics could be run smoothly. This also makes their commitment to the Taoist ideal of harmony with nature seem phony, since they were committed to environmental protection during the Games when it would benefit their image to viewers and visitors. However, after it was over, there was no initiative to maintain these improvements.

Lip Syncing

A smaller scale controversy occurred during the opening ceremony during a performance by a 9-year-old girl, Lin Miaoke, where she was supposedly singing “Ode to the Motherland”. However, in reality, she was lip syncing the singing of another 7-year-old girl, Yang Peiyi, who was deemed not cute enough to perform in front of the audience.

This incident sparked outrage from global media and Chinese citizens alike, betraying the trust between the viewers, the citizens and the organizing committee. This conflicts with Confucian principle of leadership by virtue and the established dynamics between subject and ruler, since a subject cannot follow a ruler he cannot trust. This indicates a disingenuous engagement with Confucian soft power, since rather than truly leading by virtue, the Chinese government attempts to lead through perceived virtue.

Media Perceptions

These controversies were covered pretty heavily by the global media particularly the human rights violations in Tibet, with protests gaining traction worldwide. Conversely, I could not find any media coverage on this issue from within China. Whether this is because of the government’s suppression of this kind of media or if it is because of my location and time factors is unknown. However, one interesting piece of media coverage that I did find was an interview between an NBC reporter and President George W. Bush. 

In one exchange in the interview, the reporter asks, “But this remains an authoritarian state with an abysmal human rights record. In the long run, is China’s rise irreconcilable with America’s interests?” President Bush responds by saying “No. In the long run, America better remain engaged with China and understand that we can have a cooperative and constructive, yet candid, relationship.” This exchange is very telling about the difference between the sentiments of the media and of government officials. While the media is concerned with getting a good story that will gain the sympathy and attention of readers, governments recognize the global power that China has and is growing through its strong Olympics hosting. President Bush’s response indicates that while he does not agree with China’s actions, he is aware that China is a nation that he must try to cooperate with.