For the hundreds of photojournalists who have descended on Beijing this summer, the chance to “participate” in the Olympics may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As someone who has spent years learning about China and studying the language, being in the city as a witness to history is truly remarkable.
On one level, the games are about athletic competition. As always, they are a quest for national glory. Yet, this summer it seems the stakes are higher than usual.
The 2008 Games are in many ways a celebration of China’s dramatic progress over the past 30 years. They are a milepost for China and for the world.
That progress has often come at grave cost and it will continue to play out over the coming decades. But these Olympics powerfully remind us that China is a global force that will alter the course of our world, perhaps particularly for Americans.
These Olympics seem to pose the question: is the world ready for China?
China is our state’s leading trade partner and our No. 1 export target. In many ways, the coming “Pacific Century” will have an unprecedented impact on Washington state and therefore tremendous implications for Snohomish County.
The 2008 Olympics are just one manifestation of these global currents that affect our lives at the most local level.
With more journalists in Beijing than Olympic athletes, gaining access to sporting venues is often out of the question. Instead my lens is focused outward, and aims to capture a collective portrait of the city that is the heartbeat of this country.
In another week the athletes will take their gold medals home and the Olympic focus will shift to Vancouver and London. The ordinary citizens in Beijing and across China will continue to perform the activities that help this behemoth of a nation build momentum. Now, more than ever, is a good time to appreciate their roles in our collective history.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
