What comes out of the nest?
As the Beijing Olympics come to an end, it is clear that China has not only achieved the goals it set but also repelled what it saw as harmful. The hopes for national glory, champions, gold medals and even t he weather were realized.
Concerns for human rights violations, boycotts, protests, sabotage and even air pollution were kept under control. The “One World, One Dream” has been defined by Beijing and carried out by Beijing with Chinese characteristics.
Nevertheless, the “free world” is still asking what China will be after the Olympics. China hands are still debating whether China is a strategic partner, or a competitor, or both.
Top policymakers in Washington are still planning how to make China a responsible stakeholder. The government in Taiwan is still evaluating whether China’s goodwill is for real; Taiwanese are waiting to see whether there will be more tourists or investments coming from China.
All are still asking and asking what will come out of the nest.
What happened in the Bird’s Nest has proved that China not only has a clear goal but also uses specific tactics to form a home advantage to achieve the objectives it set — be it in the sports arena or political arena.
With the closing ceremony of the Games, maybe it’s time for the other stakeholders to come up with a grand strategy and take concrete action to win the next round of competition.
JOHNWAY CHEN
Taipei
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