This article was originally published by CEIAS as part of a broader commentary.
If you’re asking if the Olympics will serve as an image improver for China, the first question you must ask is: for whom?
In the case of the domestic audience, it seems it will inevitably be successful. One can already envision flashy photo opportunities for Xi Jinping to shake hands with leaders like Vladimir Putin, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Serbian President Aleksandr Vucic, and Polish President Andrzej Duda. Also, the attendance of U.N. General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid and director-general of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu will undoubtedly add prestige and feed into propaganda efforts handsomely.
By contrast, the absence of the broad swath of leaders taking part in diplomatic boycotts or COVID (ostensibly) motivated backouts will be swept under the rug. If China is able to outperform expectations in the athletic competition, the propaganda will only be that much stronger. Given the increasingly nationalistic tenor of Chinese state news apparatuses and netizens, these snapshots are likely to be recirculated for quite some time and increase the image of Xi Jinping as a widely respected leader and therefore China as a proud nation and global leader.
Internationally, the image is likely to be less beautified. The diplomatic boycotts and focus on human rights issues that boycotts have ignited ahead of the games are not likely to dissipate soon. Instead, it will likely hang over the games like a cloud with global broadcasts no doubt making obligatory mention of the controversy. As we’ve seen in the past, this often ignites incendiary rebukes from Chinese diplomats that only exacerbate the underlying issue and considerably sour public opinion on China, as shown by CEIAS’ own studies.
Still, with economic crises still rippling from the pandemic and the near-collapse of the real estate sector in the country provoking some unrest, China seems much more concerned with the domestic perception. Some feel-good nationalism appears to be just what the doctor ordered on this front; the opinion abroad be damned.
