World leaders quash qualms, go to Olympic opening
To go or not to go world leaders invited to the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics faced a choice riddled with risks.
The guest list for Friday's big event suggests that the fear of losing Chinese business crosses continents and oceans, and ultimately outweighs outrage over China's human rights failings.
President Bush is going, as is Australia's premier. So is French President Nicolas Sarkozy, after he backed off a threat to boycott. Even Taiwan is sending a representative to the ceremony as ties warm between the rivals.
Other leading democracies were divided. The leaders of Britain, Germany and Canada are skipping the show.
Probably to the relief of Chinese authorities, so too are the authoritarian chiefs of Sudan, Zimbabwe and Iran, as is North Korea's dictator Kim Jong Il.
For China, the net result is a winning one. The international turnout for the spectacle at the Bird's Nest national stadium will drive home to viewers worldwide Beijing's message that China has arrived, whether its critics like it or not.
The sheer number of senior statesmen slated to attend has prompted some Chinese to liken it to imperial times when vassal states were expected to offer tokens of respect to Chinese emperors.
"It's like the practice in Chinese tradition of having all parts of the world come to pay tribute," said Xu Youyu, a retired philosophy professor and frequently outspoken critic of government policies. "The Olympics also lets your own people know that the rest of the world confers legitimacy on and supports the government."
A total of 104 "national government dignitaries" from around the world will attend the games, Chinese organizing committee chief Liu Qi said Tuesday. He did not specify whether that meant heads of state or whether all would attend the opening ceremony. Western diplomats in Beijing believe more than 100 foreign leaders were asked and 80 or so are believed to be coming.
China has held the invitation list closely. Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said China did not solicit the foreign leaders, but that each country's Olympic committee did the inviting.
- 1 Kareena and Akshay in Venice: Ready, Action !
- 2 Blessed Alphonsa canonized by Pope Benedict, becomes Indias first woman saint
- 3 Infosys not to raise Axon bid, rival HCL set to make largest overseas IT acquisition
- 4 Market welcomes RBIs CRR cut but wants more
- 5 Photo call for 007 Quantum of Solace in Moscow
- 6 Meg Ryan at the Middle East International Film Festival
- 7 Holocaust survivorss love story inspired a book called Angel Girl
- 1 Sensex zooms up 781 points, posts biggest percentage gain since May 2004 on government assurances
- 2 Axis Bank posts 77 percent jump in net profit, plans 50:50 JV with Banque Privee to form asset management co.
- 3 Paul Krugman wins Nobel Prize in Economics for new trade theory
- 4 India inks "historic" 123 Agreement with the US, ends 34 years of nuclear isolation
- 5 Blessed Alphonsa canonized by Pope Benedict, becomes India's first woman saint
- 6 Infosys Technologies posts 30.2 percent jump in net profit, cuts growth forecast
- 7 Market welcomes RBI's CRR cut but wants more
- 1 Paul Krugman wins Nobel Prize in Economics for new trade theory
- 2 Manmohan Singh blames terrorist attacks on "atmosphere of hatred and violence"
- 3 Holocaust survivors's love story inspired a book called 'Angel Girl'
- 4 India inks "historic" 123 Agreement with the US, ends 34 years of nuclear isolation
- 5 Blessed Alphonsa canonized by Pope Benedict, becomes India's first woman saint
- 6 Emergency European summit works on "ambitious" crisis plan
- 7 Crowded sailing race: 'Barcolana' regatta in Italy
|
|
