Beijing Diary
Heading out of Beijing after the Olympics, I'm struck by the "new China" I've seen. Beijing was of course spectacularly clean, colorful and welcoming for the Games. But what has really made an impression on me - from visits to schools, workplaces and homes - is a China that does not necessarily see itself as trying to compete with or catch up to, the West. In many circles, China has moved beyond America and other countries, in looking forward to a future that combines the very best of East and West.
A Biblical Seven Years
After attending the spectacular closing ceremony at the Beijing Olympics and feeling the vibrations from hundreds of Chinese drummers pulsating in my own chest, I was tempted to conclude two things: "Holy mackerel, the energy coming out of this country is unrivaled." And, two: "We are so cooked. Start teaching your kids Mandarin."
Melting Pot Meets Great Wall
The Olympics may just be a sporting event, but it is hard not to read larger messages into the results, especially when you see how China and America have dominated the medals tally.
We Can Help China Embrace the Future by Tony Blair
The Beijing Olympic Games were a powerful spectacle, stunning in sight and sound. But the moment that made the biggest impression on me came during an informal visit just before the Games to one of the new Chinese Internet companies, and in conversation with some of the younger Chinese entrepreneurs.
Phone Call From China Transformed '84 Games
The call he will never forget came for Peter Ueberroth in the middle of the night on May 12, 1984, over a crackling phone line from Beijing. It carried the news he believed would determine the fate of the Olympics, not just the Games he was working to organize in Los Angeles that summer but all the ones beyond.
Olympic Sponsors to Benefit Under a Tougher Stance in China
The Chinese government will begin restricting advertising space in Beijing, giving preference to the official sponsors of the Olympic Games.The restrictions are meant to clamp down on so-called ambush marketers, which are companies that are not official sponsors but hope to gain some halo effect from the Games.
China clearing the air for Olympics
The Olympics are exactly one month away, and Beijing is working hard to clear out its dirty skies for the games. One key is shutting down polluting factories in nearby areas. Scott Tong reports from one city with a factory-closing deadline.
Before the Games Begin, He Has Moves to Make
Given China's reputation for insularity, the decision by members of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games to look outside China for the ceremony's artists is notable. "I'm surprised that they asked me to join the team," Mr. Shen said. "I left China a long time ago."
Teaching Baseball as Second Language in China
On a dusty, shoddy baseball field here this spring, Jim Lefebvre, manager of the Chinese national baseball team, gathered his players and demonstrated the Red Sox slugger Manny Ramírez's philosophy on hitting.
China's Pride: A 24-Karat Olympic Machine
When Igor Grinko, a former Soviet coach with an impressive résumé, agreed to take over the Chinese rowing team four years ago, Olympic officials outlined their expectations with a simple equation: one gold equals 1,000 silvers.
The New York Times 2008 Beijing Olympics Blog
The New York Times Olympics blog covers the 2008 Beijing Games from every angle -- the politics, the arts, the culture, the competition. Reporters and editors from the sports, foreign and business desks, as well as bureaus in China and elsewhere, will be contributing items now through the games in August.
China’s Visa Policy Threatens Olympics Tourism
The plush lobby of Beijing’s Kerry Center Hotel is usually crowded with foreign guests, many of them listening to jazz and sipping martinis in Centro, the hotel’s fashionable bar, or lining up for taxis after dinner at the Horizon restaurant.
For Olympics, Lenovo Steps Up to World Stage
WITH an Italian-sounding name, a line of computers once made by I.B.M., and a chief executive who hails from Dell and NCR, the Lenovo Group is not a company that most Americans would assume is Chinese.
China Presses Injured Athletes in Quest for Gold
Pressured by the national athletic system and tempted by the commercial riches awaiting star performers in the 2008 Games, China’s athletes are pushing themselves to their limits and beyond, causing some to risk their health in pursuit of nationalist glory.
Chinese cheer on as Olympic torch starts mainland leg
SANYA, China (AP) - Cheering Chinese stood on their chairs and waved flags as the Olympic torch started its mainland leg Sunday on the tropical island of Hainan - the first stop in what is expected to be a peaceful three-month journey to Beijing.
Tibet Backers Show China Value of P.R.
New York Times, April 14th - Soon after China was awarded the Olympic Games seven years ago, a series of public relations strategy sessions were held. But it wasn't the Chinese government holding the sessions: it was grass-roots Tibet support groups in the United States and abroad.
For the West, Many Tough Calls on China
New York Times, April 13th - As the Dalai Lama begins a contentious two-week visit to the United States and the Olympic torch continues its tortuous journey across six continents toward Beijing, the 2008 Games, already tarnished, have become a political as well as an athletic spectacle, with vying theories of human rights and how best to promote them.
Let the Games Go On by Joan Chen
Last month I went to China and spent four weeks visiting Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Chengdu. The people I met and spoke with are proud and excited about the Beijing Games. They believe that the Olympics are a wonderful opportunity to showcase modern China to the rest of the world.
Why I will carry the Olympic torch
I am in training for the Olympics - not for any of the breathtaking feats that world-class athletes will perform this August in Beijing. As a sedentary 55-year-old, I am training to run a block or two without stumbling if someone tries to knock me down and to hang onto a torch-like object if people try to wrest it away from me.
High-Stakes Olympic Events: Getting Tickets and a Room
ALTHOUGH the 2008 Summer Olympics, being held in Beijing from Aug. 8 until Aug. 24, are still a full year away, making plans to attend the Games has already come down to a roulettelike gamble of hurry-up-and-wait, with choices narrowing as time goes by.
36 Hours in Beijing
BEIJING can feel chaotic and sprawling, especially as it races to finish Olympic construction before the Games begin on Aug. 8. But there's an ancient order to the place, a cosmology, and you can follow it. The palaces and temples line up like stars on the city's south-north axis.
Ever Loyal, Yao Risks His Career
Yao Ming never wanted to be trapped between the Rockets and a hard place, Western capitalists and his country. He chose to honor both, and the bargain that was struck when the Chinese ceded contractual rights, if not year-round control, of their most valuable sports export.
Chen Qigang wants to start the Olympics on the right note
The composer heads home to serve as music director for the Beijing Games.
Playing in China, Chipping at a Wall
More than 12,000 spectators watched the Los Angeles Dodgers play the San Diego Padres to a 3-3 tie in an exhibition game that introduced a widely unknown — and certainly unpopular — sport to this country.
Panda cubs set to charm in China
A group of cuddly panda cubs is guaranteed to charm visitors flocking to China for the Beijing Olympics.
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