IN READINESS for the Olympic games, Beijing is putting the finishing touches to a colossal makeover: the world’s biggest airport terminal, skyscrapers, subway lines and lavish stadiums. It is guaranteed to impress the world. But the leadership is nervous. The games will be a magnet for China’s critics. At a time of growing unease around the world about everything from the safety of China’s products to its policies in Africa, there are plenty of them.

“A new Beijing, a new Olympics” is one of China’s slogans for the games. The English translation of this is tailored to suit a foreign audience. It refers to a “great Olympics”, not a new one, to avoid upsetting those who might fear an end to what they quaintly regard as a century-old tradition of international camaraderie. But there is no cause for alarm. What China means by new is an Olympics taken to new heights of razzmatazz. Hollywood’s Steven Spielberg has been recruited to help design the opening and closing ceremonies. Beijing is justifiably confident that its purpose-built Olympics infrastructure, including a $430m stadium resembling a bird’s nest of steel, will be ready in time.

Psychologically, however, China is less well-prepared. Hollywood has already shown it can be a fickle partner, with some of its thespian elite lashing out in 2007 against Mr Spielberg’s involvement. Their allegation was that China’s large oil investments in Sudan were helping to sustain the government-orchestrated bloodshed in Darfur. Stung by this, China began to support UN intervention in the Darfur crisis.

But China’s critics in the West will not be sated. In the build-up to the games on August 8th they will step up their attacks on issues ranging from China’s human-rights record to the status of Tibet and Taiwan. It will be the most politically contentious Olympics since Moscow staged the games in 1980, not long after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Foreign activists and Chinese citizens overseas with axes to grind will flock to Beijing to try to stage public protests. If mishandled by the Chinese police (who have been instructed to stop demonstrations as politely as possible), these incidents could seriously embarrass the hosts, multinational companies sponsoring the games and foreign dignitaries.

Patriotic fervour and a surging economy will help to keep a lid on unrest by domestic malcontents. But China’s security forces will be vigilant. An unexpected bout of food-price inflation in 2007, which looks likely to continue in 2008, will anger the urban poor. Some of Beijing’s political dissidents will take advantage of the spotlight on China to highlight their grievances.

Troubling for China too will be political uncertainty in two countries of vital concern to its security interests: Taiwan and America. Elections in Taiwan in early 2008 will fuel debate there about the island’s relations with the mainland. In America, presidential candidates will use an appearance of toughness about China (particularly its massive trade surplus with America) to appeal to voters.

The Olympics will focus global attention on China’s poor record of environmental protection and its huge contribution to global warming. The prime minister, Wen Jiabao, will begin a second five-year term of office in March and is certain to make a big issue of the environment in his annual address to parliament that month. Beijing will introduce draconian—albeit temporary—restrictions on cars and industries in an effort to reduce the city’s haze in time for the games.

Beijing’s other environmental crisis—a critical shortage of water—will be somewhat alleviated in 2008 when it will begin receiving water piped in from four reservoirs in neighbouring Hebei province. The 300km (190-mile) pipeline will eventually form part of a channel bringing water from the Yangzi river basin hundreds of kilometres farther to the south. Environmentalists are unhappy. They fear that the scheme will damage the Yangzi’s ecology and that the water will be undrinkable. But China’s leaders like grandiose displays of engineering and technological prowess: the coming year will also see the first walk in space by Chinese astronauts, following the launch of a lunar probe in 2007.

Mind games
China will make few concessions to its critics abroad. President Hu Jintao, despite rewriting the Communist Party charter to reflect his calls for a fairer society, shows little enthusiasm for political reform. But rapid social change from the embrace of market economics will continue to erode the Communist Party’s grip. Although the party’s instinct will be to tighten controls on media freedom in the build-up to the games, the spread of advanced information technologies will make it ever harder to stem the tide of uncensored information.

A successful Olympics will give the party a bit more of a swagger, but success will depend on curbing its instinct to lash out at its critics. The games will not usher in democracy to China, but they will help to acclimatise both the leadership and the public to the world’s concerns about how the country is developing.


here,i wanna say is why China must interfere Darfur? China will make few concessions to its critics abroad.

The Chinese know how to do it best. This is how the Communists keep their power.you might not see this due to government censorship
BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- Chinese police detained and tortured a key official of an umbrella group representing the rapidly growing underground house churches in China, as part of a Christmas season crackdown on devoted Christians, an advocacy group with close knowledge about the situation said Wednesday, December 19.

US-based China Aid Association (CAA) told BosNewsLife that Pastor Liang Qi Zhen, Vice President of the Chinese House Church Alliance, was detained Sunday, December 16, by officials of the Public Security Bureau (PSB), one of China’s main law enforcement agencies, in Er Qi District of Henan Province.

"After disbursing Liang’s congregation, police officials took him by force and transported him to an undisclosed location where he was tortured for several hours," CAA said, adding that his ears and right hand were injured during the lengthy assault.

"After being released, Liang was able to identify the one who tortured him" but no legal actions have been taken against the suspects, CAA said. Elsewhere in Henan Province, police in Lu Yi district broke up a local house church prayer meeting on December 4, CAA said. “Five church members were detained and taken to the local police station for interrogation."

FINES ISSUED

The detained Christians, identified as Pastor Shao Guang Rong and his wife Zhang Ji Zhi, as well as Yan Qi Ying, Cui LianZhi and Wang Xiao Jian, were released on bail after 5 days detention and forced to pay an 800 Yuen ($108) "for food consumed during their incarceration," CAA said.

Local Christians apparently reported that dozens of believers in another town of the same district were also detained, but their circumstances were not immediately clear Wednesday, December 19.

CAA said it is concerned about there whereabouts as "House church members, labeled by police officials as "cultists", are often sentenced to labor camps when they are detained...Those detained in Henan Province are likely to face one year imprisonment in such a labor camp."

OTHER INCIDENTS

Police also reportedly raided house churches in other regions of China, including in Jiangsu Province, where a house church in Chang Zhou City was allegedly attacked by police officials during a Christmas celebration.

"The church, led by Pastor Bu Ge Qiao, was in the midst of a Christmas service when police raided the gathering and detained four female members. During the apprehension police assaulted one of the members until she became unconscious. She was later taken to the hospital. Her condition remains unknown," CAA said.

Earlier in Yunan Province, on December 5, policemen and members of the Bureau of Ethnic and Religious Affairs reportedly raided a house church meeting in the Kunming area, detaining several members including, including a woman identified as Piao Guihua, who rented the property.

PROPERTIES BURNED

Chinese police allegedly seized several hundred Christian books and other properties, burning them outside the residence, CAA said. "Police also destroyed the identification cards of three of the church members. After several hours of interrogation, the members were released and told to remove all properties from the residence…The landlord of the building was also instructed to cease rental agreements..."

The same house church was reportedly raided earlier on several occasions in recent years. "In each instance, police officials confiscated the offering donations along with Bibles and other Christian literature," illegally, CAA claimed.

Chinese officials have denied a crackdown on Christians, ahead of Christmas, saying believers are free to worship within the established churches. Human rights groups say however that mostly of China’s over 100 million Christians prefer to worship outside churches that are backed by the Communist Party. "PSB officials continue to threaten church members to abstain from gathering," CAA said.

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS

Former house church pastor and current CAA President Bob Fu told BosNewsLife that the "arbitrarily arrest of peaceful Christians for celebrating Christmas, shows the religious freedom situation of Chinese people..."

He said his group has urged the international community to be aware of "the increasing religious persecution in China," ahead of the Beijing Olympics next year.

Chinese Communist officials have expressed concerns that Christians will use the event to spread Christianity in the country. However, despite "increasing persecution" house church members plan top celebrate the Christmas season, Fu said. "Services continue to be held celebrating the birth of Christ, as members gather to sing songs and worship despite fears of arrest and imprisonment." (With BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos and reporting from China).

The foreign Christians are fanatically trying to attract new members and infilterate into China. The Vatican Pope can kick Taiwan away anytime as long as Beijing allow the Pope to visit. Their targets are those who are temporary losers of economic and social competition. Many underground Christian groups in China expand by offering free lunch and dinner. Lower income people usually are more likely to be sucked into Christianity for mental consolation and materialistic assistance.

The Christian infileration in China, as well as Islamic infilteration, can be dangerous if they don't sever their political and financial ties with foreign institutions. On the contrary, Buddhism and Taoism do not have this danger. The religions have philanthropic functions, which can be beneficial for the poor people. The challenge for the government is how to manipulate these religions to maximize their charity functions with minimal psychological adherence.

There are around 40 million Protestants, 14 million Catholics and 20 million Muslims. The number can be alarming, since the Leading Party members are only 70 million. Of course, to competitive selection process into the Party is much more difficult and lengthy, while these religions can be joined by anybody. But elitism does not always win over the grassroots.

It's called freedom of religion, every man woman and child has a right to choose their way in life, if you don't see the problem in the government trying to control its people by oppressing this right, then you are part of the problem. but then again i am a Constitution loving, Liberty loving, freedom loving spoiled American

There is no such a thing called "freedom of religion". Every religion, regardless if it is monotheist or polytheist, is influenced, manipulated or controlled. Religion is just like politics and military, is a power game.