Speaking out: Overseas Chinese on the Olympics

“Every Chinese has waited for this moment for many, many years,” Tian Fei told Radio86 when we asked what she thought of the Olympics. Tian, who has spent years studying abroad, now works in Hong Kong in the financial sector. She used to live in Beijing.

Her words were echoed by other overseas Chinese that we interviewed about the Olympics. “2008 is definitely a special year for China,” Lancy Jia said. “It's a proud moment for the Chinese. We're so happy that the Olympics are being held there.”

The opening ceremony won raves worldwide because of the sheer magnitude of it. More than 15,000 performers were tapped by director Zhang Yimou to showcase China for the world.

For most of the people we interviewed, the opening ceremony far exceeded their expectations.

“I like the idea behind the performance,” Cai Yuzhou, who has lived in Europe for about eight years, said. “It's very difficult to present something at the Olympics and I think Zhang Yimou managed to do it quite well.”

The show, Cai said, emphasized key elements of Chinese history. “It was a good opportunity to present to the world what China is. Watching the show was like reading a traditional Chinese book. You can read everything there, from the past to what is happening now and what comes afterwards.”

“The opening ceremony combined both Chinese characteristics and modern trend. It was really impressive,” Sofia Yang said. Sofia lives and works in Finland. “My favorite part was that little girl singing 'Ode to the Motherland' at the beginning of the program. It was sung in such a touching way that you almost forget it's a patriotic song, something we learned as children. I was a bit disappointed to learn later that the performer I saw was not the real singer. It would have been nice to see the real singer performing instead.”

Tian Fei now works in Hong Kong. (Image: Radio86)Asked how the Olympics will affect China long after the last medals are awarded, Zhao Yinong, a businessman who has lived abroad for 16 years, think that the Games will help the Chinese build a stronger sense of community. “It's very important for the Chinese to host these types of events, so they can have contact with the rest of the world. China used to be very isolated and I think it was very brave of the Chinese government to host the Olympics. It's made us more open, more visible in the international community.”

Wang Yichen, who also works in Finland, said that the Olympics are a chance to show the changes that have taken place in China. “Most foreigners think of China as just a place where cheap goods are manufactured. Through the Olympics, we can show that we are experts in other things, too.”

“A lot of new buildings and infrastructure have been built just for the Olympics in the cities. We are doing everything we can to improve the environment. China can be cleaner than many Western countries think.”

Tian shares the same view. “Most foreigners' image of China is from 20 years ago. The Olympics is a chance to show the world how China has developed.”

Are there any challenges the Chinese government still has to face in the remaining days of the Beijing Games? Sofia sums it up when she says, “I hope there won't be any more problems. Well, possibly the weather, but you never know.”