Olympic torch
How is China dealing with the pressure of protests in the countdown to the Games?
When China was awarded the Olympic Games, it was a cause for national celebration – a chance for China to proudly take its place on the international stage.
China devised the most ambitious torch relay ever, with a record number of 22,000 torch bearers carrying the flame 137,000 kilometers through 20 countries over 130 days.
At its official launch, China said the torch would “create a warm Olympic atmosphere in society”.
But it seems it was not to be.
Instead of cheers, the torch has been marked by protests and tight security, as across the world, demonstrators disrupt its journey, campaigning for a separate Tibet and against China’s record on human rights.
As the intense international scrutiny heats up in the countdown to the Olympic Games, 101 East examines how China is dealing with the pressure.
Host Teymoor Nabili is joined by Professor Barry Sautman from the University of Hong Kong, Professor Kishore Mahbubani from the National University of Singapore and Dr Chandra Muzaffar from the University of Science, Malaysia.
This episode of 101 East aired on Thursday, May 1, 2008.