Why these might be the ‘Nationalism Games’
Posted: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 8:26 AM
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Beijing, China
By Adrienne Mong, NBC News Producer
BEIJING – Activists have been rounded up, migrant workers sent home, and restrictions placed on live music venues, bars and restaurants.
Security also is high, with x-ray machines at all subway turnstiles, road checks surrounding Beijing, and 100,000 police, paramilitary and army troops deployed throughout the capital. (See the issues discussed with local officials at a recent Beijing press conference).
A week before the Opening Ceremony, some foreign journalists have dubbed them the "No-Fun Games," the "Fun-Free Games" and the "Killjoy Games."
But, following recent incidents and conversations, it struck me these Summer Games might be better called the "Nationalism Olympics."
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'You are disrespecting the Olympics spirit!'
Take, for instance, what happened when our researcher Ed Flanagan was accompanying cameraman Kevin Burke last week on a shoot at the main Olympics ticket booth.
Wishing to get a high shot of the massive crowds of Chinese waiting to buy tickets, Kevin, with his video camera, climbed on top of a table that was supposed to be used to sell tickets.
Immediately, outraged bystanders began shouting at him (in Chinese): "Get off that table now! You are disrespecting the Olympics spirit! You are besmirching China!"
Ed quietly suggested to Kevin that he step down from the table.
Given the uncomfortable conditions – waiting in line overnight in a sticky relentless heat – some of the ticket buyers’ irritation was understandable. But it seemed surprising that they would vent their anger at a foreign news crew and choose to do so in such a manner, resorting to expressions of national pride.
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An Olympic host full of pride and patriotism
In fact, some analysts speculate that this swelling of national pride – and not some terrorist attempt – might well be the real wild card in the authorities’ grand security plan for the Games.
"A worst-case situation could very well be a confrontation between Chinese crowds and individuals who try to protest here," said Russell Leigh Moses, an author who specializes in Chinese politics. "There’s a lot of pride [and] patriotism among Chinese these days, and we might see a situation where the police have to intervene to keep Chinese away from individuals who are seen … as harming China."
We have seen quite a lot of evidence this year to support Moses’ analysis. First, there was the indignant reaction across China to perceptions of bias in Western media coverage of March’s violence in Tibet. Then there was the verbal fury unleashed against Western protesters disrupting the Olympic torch relay.
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While these two reactions seemed largely defined by young people in web chat groups, the Sichuan earthquake in May unified the greater population, drawing people into an already emotive groundswell of nationalist voices across the country, particularly on the internet.
"The popular mood here is very proud," said Moses. "I think it’s very much interested in China being seen in a positive way."
Indeed, a newly-expressed confidence amongst the Chinese appears to have no bounds. Last week, a poll showed 86 percent of Chinese people surveyed believe their country is headed in the right direction. The results of the poll, conducted by the Pew Research Center, demonstrate that Chinese citizens, compared to 23 other nationalities, are by far the most satisfied with their own nation.
This pride comes as the result of a long, troubled political history. After decades steeped in propaganda about China's "humiliation" at the hands of western and Japanese powers, the Chinese are finally beginning to see their country in a new light. In their minds, three decades of unprecedented political stability and economic growth mean it's time for China to enjoy greater international stature.
And a key step to achieving that status, many Chinese believe, is hosting the Olympics. In fact, 93 percent of Chinese polled in the Pew survey think the Games will improve China’s image around the world.
Moreover, many people feel they have a personal stake in Beijing’s ability to host a successful Summer Games. The Pew survey found that, "roughly 8 in 10 say the Olympics are important to them personally."
All these factors, however - optimism, pride, a history of perceived victimhood – might make for a potent mix during an event that already tends to heighten nationalist sentiment amongst countries competing in the Games.
In a recent article about the roots of China’s current wave of nationalism, writer-observer Orville Schell quotes a China-born filmmaker as saying, "We Chinese carry the burden of our history with us and the question of Western humiliation is always unconsciously inside us…. There is something almost in our DNA that triggers automatic, and sometimes extreme, responses to foreign criticisms or put-downs."
Which begs a question: Whose reaction to, say, a Free Tibet banner being unfurled at an athletic competition will be more worrying: that of security forces or that of ordinary Chinese folks?
Neither, we hope. Learn more about what the Olympics mean for China on Nightly News with Brian Williams next Monday, when NBC News begins its coverage direct and live from Beijing.
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