World News Australia sports correspondent John Baldock wonders whether the Beijing Olympics will really bring about lasting social change to China.
It's farewell to Beijing today -- and after last night's thunderstorm that lit up the city sky with lightening and dumped four centimetres of rain in under an hour, it's probably a good thing.
I've been fortunate enough to witness a city and a nation as it prepares for a landmark event in its history. The year to go celebrations in Tiananmen Square will have left the government pleased with the spectacular fireworks and smooth running of the event. But what have I learned about the preparations for China's first ever Games? Firstly, and from the IOC's perspective most importantly it's that the Games will in all likelihood be a roaring success. This is s vibrant city where cutting edge modernity and ancient beauty sit side by side in a fascinating contrast.
Even the problems with the pollution appear to have an easy, albeit temporary, fix. From August 17-20 over one million cars will be pulled from the roads. How you may wonder? Well it's very simple. If on August the 17th you have a car registered with an odd number -- you cannot drive it (emergency and diplomatic vehicles are exempted). The following day all cars with even numbered plate will then be banned. This plan was supposed to have been trialled during the week to go celebrations, but was cancelled for no apparent reason.
So it seems the government is very serious about beautifying this city and getting the pollution to an accepted level as it welcomes the world. But I sense this short term approach actually says quite a bit about the problem with China hosting these games. If the Games are a resounding success, the government will take all the credit for it's wonderful organisational capabilities. The multinational Olympic sponsors will be pleased they were part of a successful and historic Games, but where will it leave the people of China?
I seriously doubt if all the upheaval, etiquette training and learning not to spit on the street whilst learning some pigeon English will leave a lasting impression on these people. The Games lasts for two weeks, and although the venues are legacies in themselves, I sense the Olympics are merely a passport stamp in the Communists Party's little red book which says: "Look world, see what we can do? We're changing fast, but can have the best of your world, and retain our principles and way of life."
And here's the rub. If the Games fail to deliver on the Communist Governments promise to the IOC, whose fault will it be? There are two answers to this. Firstly the finger is most likely to be pointed at the IOC and the international community in general. It was the world's fault for stirring up anti-games protests, media stories which attacked the government and imposed a whole series of rules on how to run the Games. And secondly it will be the Chinese people who failed to grasp the importance of the moment.
There's no doubt the IOC have gambled massively on these Games, and I believe the fallout either way could well damage that organisation's reputation. Human rights in this country aren't likely to improve after the Games, and for the IOC to trot out the trite line that "Giving the Olympic Ideals to one fifth of the worlds population is the one of the most exciting projects in Olympic history" sounds very hollow.
Does anyone seriously think the government is going to relax it's media laws or implement a racial social policy to improve the huge and growing rural/city divide after the Games have finished? What about slowing China's huge growth rate because of the terrible impact on the environment? I think not, and I think the Games were given to China simply because China is simply too big and too powerful to ignore in the modern world. It's merely a faint hope that by hosting the games, something positive, tangible and lasting will occur for its people.
I sincerely hope I'm proved wrong.
August 11 - It's people power
It's been a wonderful, if tiring day, starting with a five o'clock wakeup call to travel with cameraman Jorge Zarate to Tiananmen Square to watch and record the Chinese flag raised at dawn.
The flag is raised at dawn and lowered at dusk each day and always pulls a big mainly Chinese crowd. There were thousands of people there, and as the sun rose above the Museum of the Revolution, the throng was rewarded with a blue-sky day as they filed away, with many indulging in kite flying, which looked stunning in the early morning light. We then headed to the Great Wall at Badaling -- a reasonable drive of an hour and 45 minutes.
In the course of this blog over the past week or so, I've not held back from giving my opinion on the shortcomings and challenges that lay ahead for Beijing in hosting next year's Olympics. However, I've always been struck by the sincerity and warmth of the local people, and it's this genuine openness that I'm beginning to feel may be the secret ingredient in making these Games a success. Political differences aside, the Chinese people we've met seem to be embracing the idea of opening their doors to the world.
As we climbed our way up the winding Wall, which took 2,000 years to build and stretches 4,000 kilometres deep into Western China, you are struck not only with the full magnitude of what's been created (although large parts of the wall in remote areas are crumbling or have disappeared altogether) but also the pride and gusto with which the locals take on the challenge of walking along it. We met a couple of young German lads, but apart from that and one or two other European looking faces it was almost entirely locals. And in the main, they were happy to be there, as we all were in the morning summer breeze -- despite being a bit puffed-out climbing the undulating contours.
Language isn't a barrier on the wall, hands are extended with a smile, the camera changes hands, the pose is made and the digital click captures the moment. Everyone understands the scenario: help each other and it simply makes your life easier further down or up the wall, so when you want that shot you simply follow the same routine.
Once we'd had our fill climbing up to a couple of watchtowers, it was time to head back to the car, and then a stop-off at any small town we could find to give us some relief from the hustle and bustle of Beijing. We didn't mind where we went, we just wanted to sample some semi-rural life, and to see how the outer suburbs compared to Beijing. That's what brought us to Nankou, a rather non-descript little town with a few food stalls at the entrance to the main street. Not far up the road, we stumbled on a strange sight, about a dozen or so pool tables strewn across a few shop fronts with the locals either playing or chatting in the morning sunshine catching up after the weeks' work and socialising. It was a lovely place to stop and just soak up the atmosphere. Standing out a mile as foreigners didn't feel awkward at all, because everyone we stopped and said "Ni Hao" to were only to happy to bump into strangers and give them a warm welcome. I challenged a local to a game, and he graciously let me sink a few balls before he took the game by sinking the black -- everyone watching enjoyed the challenge laid down by the foreigner, who was put in his place by the local hero.
We sampled some of the local fresh cooked corn and pancakes for breakfast which was delicious and cost us the princely sum of two yuan (about 35 Australian cents!) then it was time to head a little further towards the city outskirts and the much vaunted Summer Palace. There are in fact two Palaces in this North-western area of the city. But it's the Palace grounds at Yiheyuan that attracts the vast majority of visitors nestled alongside the picturesque Lake Kunming. The other Palace, the older Yuanmingyuan is largely in ruins now, but still attracts visitors to the palace museum. Both Palaces were built for the pleasure of the Emperor and his court.
Once again, the beautiful summer day had brought out thousands of locals, and a sprinkling off foreigners, as we headed through the gated entry to the Yiheyuan which features a huge Pagoda of Buddhist Virtue. The lake adds a touch of serenity to it all with hire boats bobbing happily around, with willow trees lining the shore. There's the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, the Hall of Jade Ripples and the Garden of Virtue and Harmony to name but three things to take in. A few gift shops and food outlets keep the army of people on the move, but there's no rushing about here. Everything is done at half pace, with time to stop and watch the pavement calligraphers do their work with large brushes dipped in water. It's such a contrast to downtown Beijing, and definitely one of the highlights of my trip.
Then it's time to head back to the city, and look ahead to another busy day tomorrow finalising interviews and taking in the much anticipated Forbidden City in the heart of Beijing.
August 9 - Rocketing to success
So Jacques Rogge has a sense of humour after all. He spends months defending the organisers of the Olympic Games by saying he has every faith they are moving in the right direction in removing pollution from the streets of Beijing, only to threaten to re-schedule Olympic events on the night of the one year to go celebration.
That sounds like a rocket to me, especially from the normally lawyer-like utterances from Monsieur Rogge. But it seems the organisers had already fired a few pre-meditated weather rockets into the Beijing sky. The much publicised silver Iodide laced rockets cause water droplets in clouds to come together, and thereby cause rain. NASA doesn't rate the system very highly, but they must be aiming at the wrong clouds because it worked a treat tonight in Beijing for the year to go celebrations.
Video: Countdown begins
Video: Media gagged
Video: Building frenzy
Video: Restricted access
Lifting the smog
After five days of smog, yesterday it rained heavily for much of the day, leaving the organisers happy to host the world's Olympic heavy hitters today on a gorgeous sunny day with aforementioned smog banished to the drains -- well most of it anyway.
But where does all this leave the athletes? Australia's Commonwealth Games 5,000 metres silver medal winner Craig Mottram will be brushing up on his particulates per one thousandth of a cubic centimetre times tables or however it is they measure pollution. Or he could simply say, Beijing is three times as bad as New York on a regular basis, and that's not good for me, or anyone for that matter.
So what's the answer for Australia's Olympic Committee? Simple � just rock-up four days before the games, then get on the first plane out once you've hopefully grabbed a medal or two, 'it's up sticks I'm outta here'. Who could blame any athlete that does just that? But what about cultural exchange, opening hearts and minds, and all the rest of that Olympic Ideal stuff we hear so much about?
Rogge threatening the hosts with this kind of re-scheduling may have come about after hearing worried Olympic chiefs from around the world express their concerns during the three day Chef de Mission meeting. Or perhaps some CEO or Managing director of a multinational threatened to pull the plug on an Olympic sponsorship deal unless the IOC started to get tough? Speculation aside, Rogge is really between a rock and a hard place. If he does nothing and something does go wrong, it's all his fault. At least by warning the hosts chaos could ensue unless they hit a satisfactory level of pollution he can say he did at least raise the alarm.
Stunning celebrations
I attended the year to go celebrations and what a sight it was. Chairman Mao looking down on Tiananmen Square as the Olympic and current Chinese government bosses witnessed a night of dancing and singing, while invitations were issued to the world's athletes. All topped off with a stunning fireworks display (or were they weather rockets?).
I almost ran into famous basketballer Yao Ming while trying to capture some shots on a digital movie camera. He was surrounded by about 10 security guards who were shouting constantly at the crowds in Chinese to get out of the way. It was a bizarre scene, but thankfully I got the camera turned on and pointed upwards just in time to see his massive 7"6' frame swing by at an alarming rate of knots. A little earlier I almost got run-over by a platoon of those men dressed in white carrying all the nations' flags around. You've got to stay on your toes at the Olympic Countdowns these days.
The earlier the people's celebrations were a far different experience. A superb example of what the Olympics can do to a society. It brings them together, in the name of sport, to celebrate their humanity and join in the noble pursuit of exercise. It only deepened my admiration for the Chinese people who are clearly backing the Olympics all the way.
Sometimes I long for the simple life where honest athletic endeavours earn their just rewards. But for someone to be forced to choose a health damaging run in toxic conditions isn't sport, it's stupidity, and there's simply no other word for it. However it must be so disappointing for the citizens of Beijing who came out in such good natured mood only to go to bed thinking their games could be turned upside down because a rocket fired into the air doesn't make the rain fall.
August 8 - 'Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics'
When is a year not a year? When it's a leap year of course, and that's why the people will be cheering at 8.08 pm local time in Tianenmen Square this evening as the clock ticks down to 366 days to go.
Why 8:08pm? Well, the number 8 is significant in Chinese tradition, because the Chinese name rhymes with the words for prosperity and wealth, and 8 is considered particularly auspicious.
And if you're going to all the trouble of hosting an Olympics in the traditionally rainy 8th month of the year, on the 8th day, in 2008� then 8:08pm has a nice ring to it, (what price for British band 808 State to come out of retirement and perform just before the clock ticks down?)
Now where's my calculator? China is big on numbers and with 1.3 billion people you've got every reason to be. For example, the organisers required 70,000 volunteers to help out at the games and another 30,000 for the Paralympics. Already though, there's a massive waiting list - this time last week 520,000 Chinese people of various ages had offered their services to make these games one of the best ever.
And despite spending a large part of my week being refused entry to various venues, which made a bit of a mockery of the organisers' claims the media would be well looked after, everywhere else I went I was met with such enthusiasm for the Games that it has become infectious.
Yes, there are huge problems with pollution. Yes, there 1,000 new cars on the road every day. But what about some more good numbers now?
Beijing a winner
Proposed 2001 estimates for the revenue generated from sponsorship, licensing and suppliers is $US330 million. Actual commercial revenue now? A massive $US 1.5 BILLION - that's twice the amount Sydney made and three times the Athens take.
So the organisers are doing something right after all, and don't forget, BOCOG is on target to deliver all but one (The Birds Nest) of the 37 new and refurbished stadium venues by the end of the year.
And let's be clear about this. If the Chinese people have their way, we will witness a highly successful Games in a year's time in Beijing. There will be protests, there will be demonstrations and there will probably be many more arrests to add to the six pro-Tibet protesters that were nabbed unfurling a banner on the Great Wall yesterday.
I wouldn't be surprised if the decision to have Tiananmen Square in lock-down mode tonight for the celebrations had a little to do with the fear that the first-ever one-year-to-go celebrations to be held outside Lausanne could well have been the target for publicity seeking pressure groups. That's why the carefully selected 10,000 guests are unlikely to include any fully paid-up members of "Amnesty International", "Reporters Without Borders" or admirers of the "Dalai Lama's Diaries".
So which numbers add-up to a successful Games? In the new media world we live-in (government reporting restrictions, TV blackouts and internet privacy and censor infringements aside) it would be unbelievable if a large chunk of Chinese people haven't realised they are living at a special time in this 5,000-year-old nation. A nation which has suffered immeasurable hardships (many induced by idealogues espousing party rhetoric - and even the Communist Party admits Mao was 30 per cent wrong) including wars, famines, invasions and pestilence.
But this is about to be China's turn to be applauded for hosting what I believe won't be the best Games ever, but will certainly be the most exciting in the most advanced venues ever built.
We may not agree with the communist regime, but China's emergence from being a rapidly developing nation into a first world nation is going to happen either way - Olympics or no Olympics, and I for one don't begrudge the Chinese people at least the right to enjoy their big moment in the limelight.
August 7 - A tale of two cities
Since arriving in the Chinese capital, I've been struck by two things: the overwhelming friendliness of the people and the collective will to make next year's games a huge success.
Even the fake goods salesmen and women that smile like they recognise you on the Jianguomennai Dajie (a huge 8 lane city street which cuts a giant swathe east to west) before thrusting fake Rolex watches and cheap imitations of official Olympic merchandise seem happy to let you pass once you've said hello and "no thanks" about six times (although the red official Beijing 2008 baseball hat looks a must buy for all Olympic aficionados).
I was expecting lots of people, but nothing prepared me for the endless streets of large tower blocks and huge skyscrapers. The most remarkable is the still-to-be-finished CCTV headquarters, China's state broadcaster. The building's Twin Towers literally lean towards each other, with the beginnings of a bridge joining the two just starting its journey across the divide.
China has undergone a rapid and some would say dangerously fast economic rise in the past few years -- partly helped along by the Olympics of course -- but even an event as important to the Chinese people as this is just a mere sideshow to the burgeoning economy which shows no signs of slowing. China's growth was measured at 11.9 percent last quarter alone and the inevitable growth in disposable incomes explains why there are more than 1,000 new cars hitting the already crowded city streets every week.
Of course come time for the Games, the government will tell up to four million government workers to leave their cars at home to ensure the sickly, unearthly smog that has enveloped the city since I arrived won't leave foreign visitors with the wrong impression -- but sadly that would be the right impression.
Contrasts aplenty
Beijing is full of contrasts ... the glittering skyline is punctuated with incredible palaces, temples and beautiful parks that fill up each morning with the older generation doing a variety of exercises including an Asian version of hackey-sack game, Chinese style line-dancing and of course the ubiquitous Tai Chi. And of course this ancient and modern metropolis is also home to the world's largest communist bureaucracy -- yet repression and freedom live side by side in seemingly seamless harmony. But dig a little deeper, and the cracks are there.
Alongside the street savvy hawkers are the growing number of beggars -- children as young as four or five grab you by the hand and look pleadingly for a few coins. On my return journey back to the hotel, I saw the same young boy running up to a scruffy middle-aged man before handing over a few more yuan's given to him by an unsuspecting citizen or tourist. Shades of Fagin and Oliver in Dickensian London came to mind -- the smog only adding to the sadness of the scene.
Beijing's population was officially measured at 15 million two years ago, and by this time next year, the approximate population of Australia will be crammed into its city boundaries. And as the city/country divide gets even more pronounced the unemployed and hungry rural dwellers will soon become citizens of this and other overcrowded Chinese cities. And why shouldn't they aim for a slice of the ever growing pie in places like Beijing. After all, if they don't do it now, the rapidly growing property market will be well and truly beyond them.
A nation at crossroads
So why does hosting an Olympics mean so much to China at this time? I believe it's because China is approaching a crossroads. As the communist cadres push their pens and issue party policy in a desperate attempt to show the people they have a handle on the cyclonic nature of world markets, many in China are fed-up with institutionalised corruption. And I sense that now the outside world is watching and really taking an interest in what's going on, it will only give the people on the fringes of society a sense that they do matter, and that someone out there does care, albeit fleetingly while the flame flickers at least.
I visited a famous 'Hutong' in central Beijing -- Hutong is a Mongolian word which describes narrow alleyways with crumbling one story buildings with tiled roofs. The buildings face inwards into communal courtyards and these streets have been at the hub of the city's life for 700 years. But they are rapidly declining and dwindling, bulldozed aside by the unstoppable march of capitalism.
Today's China Daily newspaper reported that the country's largest state lender the China Development Bank is preparing to become a fully fledged commercial bank. Strange days indeed, but not so strange that the elderly man with the charming smile who played traditional Chinese music for our camera crew didn't want to go on camera with his feelings of sadness that the local sub-district communist party member had allowed his Hutong to be put on the list for demolition.
Big Brother may be watching how to make a buck or two -- but he's not so distracted he can't keep his citizens in line - or can he?
Hundreds of police, troops and security officers patrol Tiananmen Square each day to make sure no-one points a camera in the wrong direction, but a few hundred metres up the road, scores of beggars and hawkers perform their merry dance without hindrance from anyone in authority. It seems to me this proud protection of the world's largest inner city square comes at the expense of citizens and tourists who must dodge their way through the 'honour guard' of street people.
The government went on the front foot to fight corruption last week by sacking 1,500 officials from around the country for failing to fulfill their duties appropriately. Perhaps the upcoming celebration of one year to go to the Olympics is having an effect after all. But anyone who thinks they will score points off the government or try to embarrass China's politicians over human rights abuses just because they are hosting the games is sadly mistaken. The Olympics cannot be separated from civil life of course, but the IOC President Jacques Rogge has already made it clear it's not his or the Olympics job to punish, persuade or cajole anyone -- least of all the government of a host city.
"The Games are a catalyst not a cure" is Rogge's hopeful refrain. But while the high and mighty party chiefs and the IOC's top brass are all-rubbing shoulders at the no-doubt spectacular celebration in Tiananmen Square this Wednesday evening for the one year to go milestone....we should maybe spare a thought for the ever growing tide of China's poor heading into the cities because there's simply no place to go...."higher faster stronger" is the Olympic motto....and at present it could also be the Chinese government's motto regarding the countries massive unchecked ecomomic expansion.
Friday August 3rd - Rogge's Beijing
The President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge has played the IOC's diplomatic immunity card to perfection ahead of Wednesday's celebrations to mark the 12-month countdown until the start of the Beijing Olympics.
Rogge is clearly concerned the games could be hijacked by human rights and environmental organisations looking to draw attention to their calls for China to speed up reforms. He sent out a reminder overnight to those groups saying the Olympics are a 'catalyst not a cure' for the ills of the world.
I arrived in China late tonight, part of a huge media contingent here to cover what the organising committee BOCOG has promised will be spectacular celebrations of the one year to go countdown. But part of welcoming the world for the Olympics has meant that media laws have had to be relaxed.
The IOC is also pushing for athletes to be allowed to write internet blogs while competing at the Games as long as they are not written for financial gain or infringe Olympic sponsors' rights in any way. China's government is of course sensitive about the wider use of the internet, and while athletes' blogs on life in the village are unlikely to ruffle any feathers in the Communist hierarchy, if the IOC does ratify the plan, it may be seen as a gentle nudge to China to review it's policy of filtering and censoring sites such as Google and Yahoo � currently done with the permission of the two Internet giants -- in exchange for large amounts of money.
And there is likely to be increasing tension between the IOC and BOCOG as the games draw closer.
Veil of secrecy
BOCOG hasn't been forthcoming with information about it's workings and details for upcoming events have been harder to come by than an Olympic gold medal -- and this has come as no surprise to anyone who works in the media here in China.
Alarm bells have already been ringing at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, because for two weeks in August next year the eyes of the world will be fixed firmly on Beijing, and the temporary guardians of the Olympic flame are not used to playing the game by anyone else's rules.
But by winning the rights to host the Games back in 2001 Beijing signed up to do it the IOC's way. And it doesn't take long to find numerous examples in China's history where foreign intervention of any sort has been given very short shrift because of an innate distrust of foreigners.
The IOC of course sees the Olympics as a two way street -- if you host a successful Games the benefits will continue to flow back to the host country not only in terms of superb sporting infrastructure but also increased tourism and wider worldwide acceptance.
But while Rogge says he's confident BOCOG will achieve its goals of hosting a successful Games, he said that expectations the IOC will pressure the Chinese government on anything beyond Games preparations are misplaced.
Former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping once said...."it doesn't matter if the cat is black or white, as long as it catches the mouse." Jacques Rogge will be hoping the Beijing Olympics will ultimately be judged as a success on many levels, but just what price that comes at may need to be judged on more than the 60 Billion dollars spent on the biggest Olympics in history.
It's farewell to Beijing today -- and after last night's thunderstorm that lit up the city sky with lightening and dumped four centimetres of rain in under an hour, it's probably a good thing.
I've been fortunate enough to witness a city and a nation as it prepares for a landmark event in its history. The year to go celebrations in Tiananmen Square will have left the government pleased with the spectacular fireworks and smooth running of the event. But what have I learned about the preparations for China's first ever Games? Firstly, and from the IOC's perspective most importantly it's that the Games will in all likelihood be a roaring success. This is s vibrant city where cutting edge modernity and ancient beauty sit side by side in a fascinating contrast.
Even the problems with the pollution appear to have an easy, albeit temporary, fix. From August 17-20 over one million cars will be pulled from the roads. How you may wonder? Well it's very simple. If on August the 17th you have a car registered with an odd number -- you cannot drive it (emergency and diplomatic vehicles are exempted). The following day all cars with even numbered plate will then be banned. This plan was supposed to have been trialled during the week to go celebrations, but was cancelled for no apparent reason.
So it seems the government is very serious about beautifying this city and getting the pollution to an accepted level as it welcomes the world. But I sense this short term approach actually says quite a bit about the problem with China hosting these games. If the Games are a resounding success, the government will take all the credit for it's wonderful organisational capabilities. The multinational Olympic sponsors will be pleased they were part of a successful and historic Games, but where will it leave the people of China?
I seriously doubt if all the upheaval, etiquette training and learning not to spit on the street whilst learning some pigeon English will leave a lasting impression on these people. The Games lasts for two weeks, and although the venues are legacies in themselves, I sense the Olympics are merely a passport stamp in the Communists Party's little red book which says: "Look world, see what we can do? We're changing fast, but can have the best of your world, and retain our principles and way of life."
And here's the rub. If the Games fail to deliver on the Communist Governments promise to the IOC, whose fault will it be? There are two answers to this. Firstly the finger is most likely to be pointed at the IOC and the international community in general. It was the world's fault for stirring up anti-games protests, media stories which attacked the government and imposed a whole series of rules on how to run the Games. And secondly it will be the Chinese people who failed to grasp the importance of the moment.
There's no doubt the IOC have gambled massively on these Games, and I believe the fallout either way could well damage that organisation's reputation. Human rights in this country aren't likely to improve after the Games, and for the IOC to trot out the trite line that "Giving the Olympic Ideals to one fifth of the worlds population is the one of the most exciting projects in Olympic history" sounds very hollow.
Does anyone seriously think the government is going to relax it's media laws or implement a racial social policy to improve the huge and growing rural/city divide after the Games have finished? What about slowing China's huge growth rate because of the terrible impact on the environment? I think not, and I think the Games were given to China simply because China is simply too big and too powerful to ignore in the modern world. It's merely a faint hope that by hosting the games, something positive, tangible and lasting will occur for its people.
I sincerely hope I'm proved wrong.
August 11 - It's people power
It's been a wonderful, if tiring day, starting with a five o'clock wakeup call to travel with cameraman Jorge Zarate to Tiananmen Square to watch and record the Chinese flag raised at dawn.
The flag is raised at dawn and lowered at dusk each day and always pulls a big mainly Chinese crowd. There were thousands of people there, and as the sun rose above the Museum of the Revolution, the throng was rewarded with a blue-sky day as they filed away, with many indulging in kite flying, which looked stunning in the early morning light. We then headed to the Great Wall at Badaling -- a reasonable drive of an hour and 45 minutes.
In the course of this blog over the past week or so, I've not held back from giving my opinion on the shortcomings and challenges that lay ahead for Beijing in hosting next year's Olympics. However, I've always been struck by the sincerity and warmth of the local people, and it's this genuine openness that I'm beginning to feel may be the secret ingredient in making these Games a success. Political differences aside, the Chinese people we've met seem to be embracing the idea of opening their doors to the world.
As we climbed our way up the winding Wall, which took 2,000 years to build and stretches 4,000 kilometres deep into Western China, you are struck not only with the full magnitude of what's been created (although large parts of the wall in remote areas are crumbling or have disappeared altogether) but also the pride and gusto with which the locals take on the challenge of walking along it. We met a couple of young German lads, but apart from that and one or two other European looking faces it was almost entirely locals. And in the main, they were happy to be there, as we all were in the morning summer breeze -- despite being a bit puffed-out climbing the undulating contours.
Language isn't a barrier on the wall, hands are extended with a smile, the camera changes hands, the pose is made and the digital click captures the moment. Everyone understands the scenario: help each other and it simply makes your life easier further down or up the wall, so when you want that shot you simply follow the same routine.
Once we'd had our fill climbing up to a couple of watchtowers, it was time to head back to the car, and then a stop-off at any small town we could find to give us some relief from the hustle and bustle of Beijing. We didn't mind where we went, we just wanted to sample some semi-rural life, and to see how the outer suburbs compared to Beijing. That's what brought us to Nankou, a rather non-descript little town with a few food stalls at the entrance to the main street. Not far up the road, we stumbled on a strange sight, about a dozen or so pool tables strewn across a few shop fronts with the locals either playing or chatting in the morning sunshine catching up after the weeks' work and socialising. It was a lovely place to stop and just soak up the atmosphere. Standing out a mile as foreigners didn't feel awkward at all, because everyone we stopped and said "Ni Hao" to were only to happy to bump into strangers and give them a warm welcome. I challenged a local to a game, and he graciously let me sink a few balls before he took the game by sinking the black -- everyone watching enjoyed the challenge laid down by the foreigner, who was put in his place by the local hero.
We sampled some of the local fresh cooked corn and pancakes for breakfast which was delicious and cost us the princely sum of two yuan (about 35 Australian cents!) then it was time to head a little further towards the city outskirts and the much vaunted Summer Palace. There are in fact two Palaces in this North-western area of the city. But it's the Palace grounds at Yiheyuan that attracts the vast majority of visitors nestled alongside the picturesque Lake Kunming. The other Palace, the older Yuanmingyuan is largely in ruins now, but still attracts visitors to the palace museum. Both Palaces were built for the pleasure of the Emperor and his court.
Once again, the beautiful summer day had brought out thousands of locals, and a sprinkling off foreigners, as we headed through the gated entry to the Yiheyuan which features a huge Pagoda of Buddhist Virtue. The lake adds a touch of serenity to it all with hire boats bobbing happily around, with willow trees lining the shore. There's the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, the Hall of Jade Ripples and the Garden of Virtue and Harmony to name but three things to take in. A few gift shops and food outlets keep the army of people on the move, but there's no rushing about here. Everything is done at half pace, with time to stop and watch the pavement calligraphers do their work with large brushes dipped in water. It's such a contrast to downtown Beijing, and definitely one of the highlights of my trip.
Then it's time to head back to the city, and look ahead to another busy day tomorrow finalising interviews and taking in the much anticipated Forbidden City in the heart of Beijing.
August 9 - Rocketing to success
So Jacques Rogge has a sense of humour after all. He spends months defending the organisers of the Olympic Games by saying he has every faith they are moving in the right direction in removing pollution from the streets of Beijing, only to threaten to re-schedule Olympic events on the night of the one year to go celebration.
That sounds like a rocket to me, especially from the normally lawyer-like utterances from Monsieur Rogge. But it seems the organisers had already fired a few pre-meditated weather rockets into the Beijing sky. The much publicised silver Iodide laced rockets cause water droplets in clouds to come together, and thereby cause rain. NASA doesn't rate the system very highly, but they must be aiming at the wrong clouds because it worked a treat tonight in Beijing for the year to go celebrations.
Video: Countdown begins
Video: Media gagged
Video: Building frenzy
Video: Restricted access
Lifting the smog
After five days of smog, yesterday it rained heavily for much of the day, leaving the organisers happy to host the world's Olympic heavy hitters today on a gorgeous sunny day with aforementioned smog banished to the drains -- well most of it anyway.
But where does all this leave the athletes? Australia's Commonwealth Games 5,000 metres silver medal winner Craig Mottram will be brushing up on his particulates per one thousandth of a cubic centimetre times tables or however it is they measure pollution. Or he could simply say, Beijing is three times as bad as New York on a regular basis, and that's not good for me, or anyone for that matter.
So what's the answer for Australia's Olympic Committee? Simple � just rock-up four days before the games, then get on the first plane out once you've hopefully grabbed a medal or two, 'it's up sticks I'm outta here'. Who could blame any athlete that does just that? But what about cultural exchange, opening hearts and minds, and all the rest of that Olympic Ideal stuff we hear so much about?
Rogge threatening the hosts with this kind of re-scheduling may have come about after hearing worried Olympic chiefs from around the world express their concerns during the three day Chef de Mission meeting. Or perhaps some CEO or Managing director of a multinational threatened to pull the plug on an Olympic sponsorship deal unless the IOC started to get tough? Speculation aside, Rogge is really between a rock and a hard place. If he does nothing and something does go wrong, it's all his fault. At least by warning the hosts chaos could ensue unless they hit a satisfactory level of pollution he can say he did at least raise the alarm.
Stunning celebrations
I attended the year to go celebrations and what a sight it was. Chairman Mao looking down on Tiananmen Square as the Olympic and current Chinese government bosses witnessed a night of dancing and singing, while invitations were issued to the world's athletes. All topped off with a stunning fireworks display (or were they weather rockets?).
I almost ran into famous basketballer Yao Ming while trying to capture some shots on a digital movie camera. He was surrounded by about 10 security guards who were shouting constantly at the crowds in Chinese to get out of the way. It was a bizarre scene, but thankfully I got the camera turned on and pointed upwards just in time to see his massive 7"6' frame swing by at an alarming rate of knots. A little earlier I almost got run-over by a platoon of those men dressed in white carrying all the nations' flags around. You've got to stay on your toes at the Olympic Countdowns these days.
The earlier the people's celebrations were a far different experience. A superb example of what the Olympics can do to a society. It brings them together, in the name of sport, to celebrate their humanity and join in the noble pursuit of exercise. It only deepened my admiration for the Chinese people who are clearly backing the Olympics all the way.
Sometimes I long for the simple life where honest athletic endeavours earn their just rewards. But for someone to be forced to choose a health damaging run in toxic conditions isn't sport, it's stupidity, and there's simply no other word for it. However it must be so disappointing for the citizens of Beijing who came out in such good natured mood only to go to bed thinking their games could be turned upside down because a rocket fired into the air doesn't make the rain fall.
August 8 - 'Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics'
When is a year not a year? When it's a leap year of course, and that's why the people will be cheering at 8.08 pm local time in Tianenmen Square this evening as the clock ticks down to 366 days to go.
Why 8:08pm? Well, the number 8 is significant in Chinese tradition, because the Chinese name rhymes with the words for prosperity and wealth, and 8 is considered particularly auspicious.
And if you're going to all the trouble of hosting an Olympics in the traditionally rainy 8th month of the year, on the 8th day, in 2008� then 8:08pm has a nice ring to it, (what price for British band 808 State to come out of retirement and perform just before the clock ticks down?)
Now where's my calculator? China is big on numbers and with 1.3 billion people you've got every reason to be. For example, the organisers required 70,000 volunteers to help out at the games and another 30,000 for the Paralympics. Already though, there's a massive waiting list - this time last week 520,000 Chinese people of various ages had offered their services to make these games one of the best ever.
And despite spending a large part of my week being refused entry to various venues, which made a bit of a mockery of the organisers' claims the media would be well looked after, everywhere else I went I was met with such enthusiasm for the Games that it has become infectious.
Yes, there are huge problems with pollution. Yes, there 1,000 new cars on the road every day. But what about some more good numbers now?
Beijing a winner
Proposed 2001 estimates for the revenue generated from sponsorship, licensing and suppliers is $US330 million. Actual commercial revenue now? A massive $US 1.5 BILLION - that's twice the amount Sydney made and three times the Athens take.
So the organisers are doing something right after all, and don't forget, BOCOG is on target to deliver all but one (The Birds Nest) of the 37 new and refurbished stadium venues by the end of the year.
And let's be clear about this. If the Chinese people have their way, we will witness a highly successful Games in a year's time in Beijing. There will be protests, there will be demonstrations and there will probably be many more arrests to add to the six pro-Tibet protesters that were nabbed unfurling a banner on the Great Wall yesterday.
I wouldn't be surprised if the decision to have Tiananmen Square in lock-down mode tonight for the celebrations had a little to do with the fear that the first-ever one-year-to-go celebrations to be held outside Lausanne could well have been the target for publicity seeking pressure groups. That's why the carefully selected 10,000 guests are unlikely to include any fully paid-up members of "Amnesty International", "Reporters Without Borders" or admirers of the "Dalai Lama's Diaries".
So which numbers add-up to a successful Games? In the new media world we live-in (government reporting restrictions, TV blackouts and internet privacy and censor infringements aside) it would be unbelievable if a large chunk of Chinese people haven't realised they are living at a special time in this 5,000-year-old nation. A nation which has suffered immeasurable hardships (many induced by idealogues espousing party rhetoric - and even the Communist Party admits Mao was 30 per cent wrong) including wars, famines, invasions and pestilence.
But this is about to be China's turn to be applauded for hosting what I believe won't be the best Games ever, but will certainly be the most exciting in the most advanced venues ever built.
We may not agree with the communist regime, but China's emergence from being a rapidly developing nation into a first world nation is going to happen either way - Olympics or no Olympics, and I for one don't begrudge the Chinese people at least the right to enjoy their big moment in the limelight.
August 7 - A tale of two cities
Since arriving in the Chinese capital, I've been struck by two things: the overwhelming friendliness of the people and the collective will to make next year's games a huge success.
Even the fake goods salesmen and women that smile like they recognise you on the Jianguomennai Dajie (a huge 8 lane city street which cuts a giant swathe east to west) before thrusting fake Rolex watches and cheap imitations of official Olympic merchandise seem happy to let you pass once you've said hello and "no thanks" about six times (although the red official Beijing 2008 baseball hat looks a must buy for all Olympic aficionados).
I was expecting lots of people, but nothing prepared me for the endless streets of large tower blocks and huge skyscrapers. The most remarkable is the still-to-be-finished CCTV headquarters, China's state broadcaster. The building's Twin Towers literally lean towards each other, with the beginnings of a bridge joining the two just starting its journey across the divide.
China has undergone a rapid and some would say dangerously fast economic rise in the past few years -- partly helped along by the Olympics of course -- but even an event as important to the Chinese people as this is just a mere sideshow to the burgeoning economy which shows no signs of slowing. China's growth was measured at 11.9 percent last quarter alone and the inevitable growth in disposable incomes explains why there are more than 1,000 new cars hitting the already crowded city streets every week.
Of course come time for the Games, the government will tell up to four million government workers to leave their cars at home to ensure the sickly, unearthly smog that has enveloped the city since I arrived won't leave foreign visitors with the wrong impression -- but sadly that would be the right impression.
Contrasts aplenty
Beijing is full of contrasts ... the glittering skyline is punctuated with incredible palaces, temples and beautiful parks that fill up each morning with the older generation doing a variety of exercises including an Asian version of hackey-sack game, Chinese style line-dancing and of course the ubiquitous Tai Chi. And of course this ancient and modern metropolis is also home to the world's largest communist bureaucracy -- yet repression and freedom live side by side in seemingly seamless harmony. But dig a little deeper, and the cracks are there.
Alongside the street savvy hawkers are the growing number of beggars -- children as young as four or five grab you by the hand and look pleadingly for a few coins. On my return journey back to the hotel, I saw the same young boy running up to a scruffy middle-aged man before handing over a few more yuan's given to him by an unsuspecting citizen or tourist. Shades of Fagin and Oliver in Dickensian London came to mind -- the smog only adding to the sadness of the scene.
Beijing's population was officially measured at 15 million two years ago, and by this time next year, the approximate population of Australia will be crammed into its city boundaries. And as the city/country divide gets even more pronounced the unemployed and hungry rural dwellers will soon become citizens of this and other overcrowded Chinese cities. And why shouldn't they aim for a slice of the ever growing pie in places like Beijing. After all, if they don't do it now, the rapidly growing property market will be well and truly beyond them.
A nation at crossroads
So why does hosting an Olympics mean so much to China at this time? I believe it's because China is approaching a crossroads. As the communist cadres push their pens and issue party policy in a desperate attempt to show the people they have a handle on the cyclonic nature of world markets, many in China are fed-up with institutionalised corruption. And I sense that now the outside world is watching and really taking an interest in what's going on, it will only give the people on the fringes of society a sense that they do matter, and that someone out there does care, albeit fleetingly while the flame flickers at least.
I visited a famous 'Hutong' in central Beijing -- Hutong is a Mongolian word which describes narrow alleyways with crumbling one story buildings with tiled roofs. The buildings face inwards into communal courtyards and these streets have been at the hub of the city's life for 700 years. But they are rapidly declining and dwindling, bulldozed aside by the unstoppable march of capitalism.
Today's China Daily newspaper reported that the country's largest state lender the China Development Bank is preparing to become a fully fledged commercial bank. Strange days indeed, but not so strange that the elderly man with the charming smile who played traditional Chinese music for our camera crew didn't want to go on camera with his feelings of sadness that the local sub-district communist party member had allowed his Hutong to be put on the list for demolition.
Big Brother may be watching how to make a buck or two -- but he's not so distracted he can't keep his citizens in line - or can he?
Hundreds of police, troops and security officers patrol Tiananmen Square each day to make sure no-one points a camera in the wrong direction, but a few hundred metres up the road, scores of beggars and hawkers perform their merry dance without hindrance from anyone in authority. It seems to me this proud protection of the world's largest inner city square comes at the expense of citizens and tourists who must dodge their way through the 'honour guard' of street people.
The government went on the front foot to fight corruption last week by sacking 1,500 officials from around the country for failing to fulfill their duties appropriately. Perhaps the upcoming celebration of one year to go to the Olympics is having an effect after all. But anyone who thinks they will score points off the government or try to embarrass China's politicians over human rights abuses just because they are hosting the games is sadly mistaken. The Olympics cannot be separated from civil life of course, but the IOC President Jacques Rogge has already made it clear it's not his or the Olympics job to punish, persuade or cajole anyone -- least of all the government of a host city.
"The Games are a catalyst not a cure" is Rogge's hopeful refrain. But while the high and mighty party chiefs and the IOC's top brass are all-rubbing shoulders at the no-doubt spectacular celebration in Tiananmen Square this Wednesday evening for the one year to go milestone....we should maybe spare a thought for the ever growing tide of China's poor heading into the cities because there's simply no place to go...."higher faster stronger" is the Olympic motto....and at present it could also be the Chinese government's motto regarding the countries massive unchecked ecomomic expansion.
Friday August 3rd - Rogge's Beijing
The President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge has played the IOC's diplomatic immunity card to perfection ahead of Wednesday's celebrations to mark the 12-month countdown until the start of the Beijing Olympics.
Rogge is clearly concerned the games could be hijacked by human rights and environmental organisations looking to draw attention to their calls for China to speed up reforms. He sent out a reminder overnight to those groups saying the Olympics are a 'catalyst not a cure' for the ills of the world.
I arrived in China late tonight, part of a huge media contingent here to cover what the organising committee BOCOG has promised will be spectacular celebrations of the one year to go countdown. But part of welcoming the world for the Olympics has meant that media laws have had to be relaxed.
The IOC is also pushing for athletes to be allowed to write internet blogs while competing at the Games as long as they are not written for financial gain or infringe Olympic sponsors' rights in any way. China's government is of course sensitive about the wider use of the internet, and while athletes' blogs on life in the village are unlikely to ruffle any feathers in the Communist hierarchy, if the IOC does ratify the plan, it may be seen as a gentle nudge to China to review it's policy of filtering and censoring sites such as Google and Yahoo � currently done with the permission of the two Internet giants -- in exchange for large amounts of money.
And there is likely to be increasing tension between the IOC and BOCOG as the games draw closer.
Veil of secrecy
BOCOG hasn't been forthcoming with information about it's workings and details for upcoming events have been harder to come by than an Olympic gold medal -- and this has come as no surprise to anyone who works in the media here in China.
Alarm bells have already been ringing at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, because for two weeks in August next year the eyes of the world will be fixed firmly on Beijing, and the temporary guardians of the Olympic flame are not used to playing the game by anyone else's rules.
But by winning the rights to host the Games back in 2001 Beijing signed up to do it the IOC's way. And it doesn't take long to find numerous examples in China's history where foreign intervention of any sort has been given very short shrift because of an innate distrust of foreigners.
The IOC of course sees the Olympics as a two way street -- if you host a successful Games the benefits will continue to flow back to the host country not only in terms of superb sporting infrastructure but also increased tourism and wider worldwide acceptance.
But while Rogge says he's confident BOCOG will achieve its goals of hosting a successful Games, he said that expectations the IOC will pressure the Chinese government on anything beyond Games preparations are misplaced.
Former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping once said...."it doesn't matter if the cat is black or white, as long as it catches the mouse." Jacques Rogge will be hoping the Beijing Olympics will ultimately be judged as a success on many levels, but just what price that comes at may need to be judged on more than the 60 Billion dollars spent on the biggest Olympics in history.
