Former Beijing Bureau Chief for the Washington Post; Author
Former Beijing Bureau Chief, and soon-to-be Moscow Bureau Chief, for the Washington Post; author of Out of Mao’s Shadow: The Struggle for the Soul of a New China
PROFILE
Philip Pan
Guest
FROM Philip Pan
To the Point
Olympics and Politics Seven years ago, the secretary general of the Beijing Olympic Bid Committee said this summer's games would "not only promote our economy but also enhance all social conditions, including education, health and human rights." But, just four days before the Games will get underway, China's accused of breaking its promises to clean the air, relax controls on political dissidents and open up to the western media. One sports historian says nobody should have believed China's promises in the first place. But are the Olympics a sure path from despotism to democracy? We look at what Beijing does not want us to see, as well as what's on display, including architecture that rivals the Forbidden City and the Great Wall.
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