2019 Asiad should not be China's game

Cut their coats according to their cloth. That is exactly what Vietnam and China are doing on sports galas.

On April 17, Vietnam announced that it was pulling out as hosts of the 2019 Asian Games in Hanoi because of lack of preparedness and concerns that holding the multi-sport event for the first time may not be financially viable.

But Vietnam's decision to quit as host of the 18th Asian Games should not come as a big surprise given its socio-economic situation. The estimated cost of $150 million to host of the 2019 Asiad in Hanoi may have been less than previous ones. But the fact is that the country of 90 million people just started recovering from the global financial crisis last year, with its GDP increasing by 5.42 percent to about $170 billion. Besides, Vietnam has been battling with inflation, with its consumer price index once exceeding 18 percent in 2011.

Of course, Vietnam's decision will hurt its reputation in the sports world, but it has to be respected, for it was taken for the good of the country.

Which country will now come forward to host the 2019 Asian Games? This question has left many Chinese worried because they fear China could take the this upon itself given its "past zeal for big events".

After the magnificent but controversial Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, China hosted the equally controversial Shanghai 2010 World Expo. And it is now bidding for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, with Beijing and Zhangjiakou, a city that neighbors the capital in the north, as the venues.

Vietnam's decision to pull out as hosts of the 2019 Asiad can't prove that China's bid for 2022 Winter Games is wrong. But that doesn't mean that China should pick up the relay of the 18th Asian Games.

China is the world's second largest economy, and its GDP last year reached 56.9 trillion yuan ($9.12 trillion). The official figure of spending on the 2008 Olympic Games was more than $2 billion. And if the 2022 Winter Games costs as much, China can afford it considering its GDP.

Economists estimate that the revenue from the 2008 Olympics, including TV broadcasting rights, ticket sales and advertising, was about $2 billion. And although it will take 30 years to pay for its construction, the National Stadium, or Bird's Nest, has become a new tourist attraction in Beijing, drawing thousands of people every day. The Games also radically improved Beijing's infrastructure - for instance, the capital now has one of the world's longest metro systems of about 456 km.

Similarly, the 2022 Winter Games (if China wins the bid to host it) could be another opportunity for China to fuel economic growth and improve the environment in the northern part of the country. The International Olympic Committee requires cities bidding to host the Winter Olympics to provide their environmental data, including those on carbon monoxide, PM10, PM2.5, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone. But since the whole of North China, including Beijing, is infamous for its smog, the authorities have to accelerate their pace to phase out highly polluting industries from the capital and the neighboring Hebei province - which is also essential for industrial upgrading and economic transformation - to win the bid for the 2022 Winter Games.

Previous Page 1 2 Next Page

Previous Page 1 2 Next Page