Lasting legacy of the Beijing Olympics
Contrary to the conventional medal standings, there is a case for China having won 52, not 51, gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. There are also cases to be made about political, economic and social nuances arising from the Games. These can have far-reaching consequences for China and the rest of the world for years to come.
The extra gold would be for the opening ceremony at the iconic 'Bird's Nest', the spectacular National Stadium set in the Olympic Green in the suburbs of Beijing.
The ceremony spanned nearly four hours but seemed not to lose - even for a second - the attention or the enthusiasm of the 91,000 people who packed the stadium.
The Olympics have often been described as the greatest show on Earth. It is now the considered opinion of most, not only in China but all over the world, that the opening ceremony on August 8, 2008, was the best curtain-raiser in the 112-year history of the modern Games.
In the official records, China went on to garner 51 gold medals, 21 silver and 28 bronze. It won more golds than its arch-rival, the United States, which picked up 36 gold, 38 silver and 36 bronze medals, while Russia won 23 gold, 21 silver and 28 bronze. In the process, China has dispelled in no uncertain terms the humiliating label of 'sick man of East Asia'.
But a man who has been sick so long, even though cured, needs to work slowly and carefully towards total recovery. At the same time, he should reach out to neighbours far and near. Above all, he needs time to foster and build relationships, retaining the trust of old friends while seeking out new ones in the spirit of the Beijing Games motto: 'One World, One Dream'.
This is basically the message that President Hu Jintao gave to the world during his visit to South Korea soon after the Games ended. China is at one with the world, and the political and economic implications are immense: China now plays on the world stage and cannot be ignored.
In the days of Mao Zedong , the belief was that political power grew out of the barrel of a gun. But circumstances have changed and, as the American author and poet James R. Lowell put it, new occasions teach new duties. Getting rich is glorious; that's how the late paramount leader, Deng Xiaoping , saw it.
He opened up China to the world in the early 1970s. In this way, it gained economic prowess and, in turn, political clout. Deng - a sports fan who pawned his watch to buy a ticket to a soccer match while an exchange student in Paris - was also the man who told officials to go all out to host an Olympiad.
The resulting Beijing Games will also have a bearing on politics in China. Xi Jinping , already tipped to succeed Mr Hu, was given the task of carrying out the project. Its success gives yet another boost to his ascendancy to the top political post and ensures the stability that the country needs for further development.
In the social context, the personal exchanges between Chinese and people from other nations, before and during the Games, are sure to continue.
Segments of Chinese history and culture, which were displayed during the opening ceremony, serve as reminders that there is strength in numbers but that strength has to be channelled in the right direction.
In analysing the results of the Beijing Games, concerns have been raised about the huge resources and manpower spent on a small group of athletes, to go all out for medals. The Games have now ignited a passion for sports in China and the hope is that more money will be spent on sports for all.
The Chinese are pragmatic enough to know that the spirit of the modern Olympics, as envisaged by its French founder, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, is all about taking part, not winning.
C. P. Ho, a former news agency correspondent and television executive, writes occasional articles for newspapers and magazines
