'08 Olympics: Spotlight on China

The 2008 Olympic Games will shine the spotlight on China and athletes from around the world. However, as Foreign Policy magazine points out, it will also shine the light on the policies of the Chinese ruling party. Surely, there will be countless episodes of Chinese police and activists from around the world protesting China' human rights record, lack of political freedom, and even China's contribution to global climate change. Other issues may include, China's unwillingness to intervene in the Darfur conflict, and of course, the continuing Taiwan issue.

With today's technological advances, millions of people in attendance at the Games and protests, will also be journalist, armed with picture phones and BlackBerries. The Chinese government has already begun intense intelligence work on international groups likely to protest in '08. Still, with so many foreigners pouring into the country, it will be nearly impossible to know if someone is coming to watch the Games, or protest the government. On thing is for sure, there are bound to be a lot of interesting YouTube posts that month!