“ The government’s harsh treatment of potential dissenters not only demonstrates the seriousness of its fears about social unrest, but it also suggests that the regime will continue to prioritise domestic stability over its international image. So it’s hardly surprising that in political terms the Olympics were more of a success at home than abroad. If the Games have underlined China’s burgeoning power and dynamism, they have also highlighted the gulf in political values between China and the world’s democracies. As a result, the Beijing Games will be remembered not only as an unprecedentedly impressive spectacle, but also as a controversial event that failed fully to dispel international apprehension about China’s rise.
