China's struggle for Olympic gold medals and superpower status
Updated on 14 August 2008
The world may see China as the next superpower but Chinese people aren't so sure, writes guest blogger Danny Vincent.
The two biggest delegations that walked into the Bird's Nest on Friday night were the Americans and the Chinese. It seems that almost every televised event during the games is between these two nations.
"Are they playing America?" is the question that my colleagues seem to be asking at work as they look up at the big television screen.
The nations share so many things, more than just the desire to win the most gold medals.
'The concept of China becoming the next superpower is often met with blank faces from my co-workers.'
The two nations will decide the fate of the world. Basketball, gymnastics and weightlifting are alluding to this now, not just to observers but to everyday people too.
They say that history is written by the victors and with so many journalists at the games everyone is having a go.
"The world's only superpower against a third of humanity" is how one western journalist described the basketball game between the two nations. The state-run media's headline the day after was "China comes close to being amazing".
China has won 20 gold medals and holds a serious chance of beating America in the gold rush. But the idea, like the concept of China becoming the next superpower, is often met with blank faces from my co-workers.
It seems in the west we see the latter as inevitable. But to some, coming from poor areas across the nation to Beijing reminds them that China has not yet arrived.
"I can't imagine it. I think of all the poor people in China. China has only recently started to become rich," a friend says when I ask if she can imagine China as the new superpower.
"We will not win on the track and field," another friend tells me. She is sure that Liu Xiang can win the 110m hurdles in front of thousands in the Bird's Nest and is excited about it, but she is unsure about the other events.
My friend has a theory that the state media shows only the events that China has a chance of winning on TV. "Imagine the millions of poor farmers watching across the country. They will think that China is winning everything," she says.
