As a whole, the Beijing Olympics could not be described in any other way than as a great success. While it did not help to achieve all the goals the government set out for it to, it was undeniably positive and remains as one of the most impactful events in modern Chinese history due to the fact that it cemented China’s place as a global superpower.
Looking at it from a philosophical perspective, many controversies made it clear that the government and organizing committee were not wholehearted in their adoption of Confucianism and Taoism, with heavy emphasis on harmony, ren, and balance with nature only when it benefits their goals. Concepts such as wuwei and openness were ignored and contradicted in the way they handled censorship, control, and the lip syncing controversy.
However, I believe the means of philosophical appropriation justify the ends that they achieved. As taught by Confucius, no one can be ren all the time; moral cultivation is a process and philosophies are constantly evolving. Similarly, Taoism accepts the balance between morality and immorality as natural parts of the world’s flow. With this in mind, while the government’s use of Confucian and Taoist ideals may have been selective and at times hypocritical, it nonetheless succeeded in reintroducing these philosophies to both domestic and global audiences. The values of harmony, humaneness, and connection with nature were introduced to a global stage, and viewers from around the world received a message that China’s rise was not purely economic or political, but also cultural and philosophical.