An Olympic Question

April 18, 2008

Following Tibet-related protests that have followed the Olympic torch around the world, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have confirmed that they won’t attend the Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing this summer.

However, despite calls to boycott the opening ceremony from members of Congress — including Senators McCain, Obama and Clinton — George W. Bush still plans to attend.

USC political scientist Stanley Rosen says that the calls to boycott are symbolic gestures that run the risk of alienating Chinese people — including Chinese studying abroad and Chinese Americans — even further.

“All the candidates have made similar statements,” notes Rosen, director of the East Asian Studies Center at the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. “China comes up as a scapegoat in every presidential election. When they get into office, they change. They realize the importance of the relationship.”

“The benefit is that it lets them off the hook and placates domestic audiences. It’s an easy thing to say,” Rosen adds.

According to Rosen, the left and the right are united in criticism of China. Both sides share concerns about human rights abuses. On the right, pro-life activists criticize China’s one-child policy. On the left, the traditional labor base — including the AFL-CIO — expresses fear of losing jobs to Chinese workers, Rosen says.

Rosen is a China scholar with expertise in the country’s foreign relations, politics, culture and film.
Contact him at (213) 740-6661 or rosen@usc.edu.