介绍:
NL: Did the Games live up to your expectations? What have been your highlights?
WZX: Well, I think many Chinese were disappointed about the number of gold medals the Chinese team won, and now China is positioned at number three, behind Great Britain! That’s a bit surprising and disappointing for Chinese audiences, but I think overall, Chinese society is becoming more tolerant, less obsessive about gold medals, so people are learning to cope with this, playing down the Olympics in their mentality.
ZCG: Previously, the Olympics were a symbol of a nation’s strength. In 2008, staging a spectacular Olympics in Beijing was part of China’s efforts to promote its international image. But today, China is the world’s second-largest economy; it has gone from strength to strength. Do you think that China may no longer need an event like the Olympics to demonstrate its strength and promote its image globally?
WZX: I think that’s probably correct, I think the Olympics have become less of an obsession of Chinese people. China doesn’t feel the need to hold such a big event to showcase its culture, its image and its capacity, but on the other hand China has become more influential in the world, it’s actually more challenging for China to present itself to the world in a more well-rounded way. There are many more aspects for China to engage the world, to become part of the world, so in terms of economic relations, in terms of cultural exchange, in terms of people doing business outside China – so things are actually becoming more challenging for China, to enter the world, to become a part of the world, to engage the world.
NL: In the closing ceremony, we’ve just seen the handover from Rio to the next Olympics, when they’ll be returning to Asia with the Tokyo Games in 2020. Obviously that’s a way off, but is there anything in particular that you think we can look forward to in four years’ time, based on what you’ve seen this time round?
WZX: Well I think, of course, the Japanese people will do a much better job in terms of organizing the event. The competition for gold medals will continue between China and the US and now, we don’t know about Great Britain, four years on, how well they will do! But it’s going to be hosted by Japan, so the Japanese team will also have a lot to show to the world as well. So we should just look forward to the event. At the same time, I think, as we discussed, Chinese sports, Chinese people will need to continue to think how best to organize sports in China.
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