WORLD NEWS
July 13, 2001
China to Host 2008 Olympics
Beijing chosen over Paris and Toronto to be the Olympic home
 Chinese students cheer for Beijing. |
For the first time in history, the world's most populated country will host the 2008 Olympic Games. People danced and cheered in the streets of Beijing, the Chinese capital, after the International Olympic Committee in Moscow, Russia made the announcement, on Friday morning. But not everyone was celebrating. Many people had protested against China’s bid for the games because of the country’s poor record on human rights.
A Celebration in Beijing
“Beijing! Beijing!” shouted a crowd of supporters gathered in front of an outdoor stage in the city’s Millennium Square. The news was especially exciting for the Chinese people because Beijing had lost a bid to host the 2000 Olympic Games to Sydney, Australia.
Many began singing the Chinese national anthem as they celebrated the news. The giant celebration included fireworks and green lasers in the sky and lion dancers and ballerinas in the streets.
 |  Demonstraters in Toronto protest the decision to have Beijing host the 2008 summer games. |
An Issue of Human Rights
Over the years, many people in the U.S. and other free democratic countries have criticized China for the way the government treats its people. Chinese leaders are known for limiting the personal freedoms of its people, and severely punishing those who speak out against the government.
The Dalai (Dahl-eye) Lama, a religious leader from Tibet, was among the people who criticized the Olympic Committee’s decision. Tibet is a region in southern China with its own history and culture. But the Chinese forbid Tibetans to fly their flag or properly practice their religion, Tibetan Buddhism. “This will put the stamp of international approval for Beijing's human rights abuses,” the Dalai Lama's government said in a statement.
Tough Competition
Beijing defeated Toronto, Canada; Paris, France; Istanbul, Turkey, and Osaka, Japan in its Olympic bid. Experts said the Olympic Committee did not focus on China’s human rights record but instead looked at the country’s ability to host an Olympics. Beijing has already spent nearly $22 billion for improvements and the construction of an 80,000-seat National Stadium. More that than 95 percent of Beijing’s residents supported the push to host the 2008 Games. But elsewhere around the world, activists worried about what the decision would mean for human rights.
