Politics and the Olympic Transaction: Measuring China's Accomplishments

Abstract

Any country that hosts the Olympic Games must contend with the ‘Olympic transaction,' or the costs and benefits of the international attention that the Games attract. The ‘Olympic transaction' for China was that it wanted the chance to showcase its greatness and importance as an international player to the world, but at the same time, the Olympic limelight brought intensified international pressure for political change and greater global responsibility in China. While the 2008 Beijing Olympiad is generally believed to have been one of the most successful and impressive Games in modern history, it remains unclear exactly what effect the ‘Olympic transaction' had on China. It is obvious, however, that the Beijing Games planted that seeds of political change in China, and the world now awaits to see how well these seeds will grow.