Beijing Olympiad The Political Economy of a Sporting Mega-event

The Beijing Olympics have been causing controversy since their announcement, and are set to become one of the most widely discussed sporting events in history. Focussing the world's attention on China, the Games provide a catalyst for debating international politics, economics, market forces, social values, human rights, and the meaning of sport in the modern era. The Beijing Olympiad: The Political Economy of a Sporting Mega-Event considers the global and local impact of the Games, and provides valuable insight into contemporary China, its culture, society, economy and politics in the build-up to the 2008 Olympics. Topics discussed include: - Capitalism, democracy, and the spread of '¬~western' cultural values - China's investment in the Olympics - The Olympic showcase and China's changing role in global economics Presenting an original analysis of key current issues, this text will encourage students and researchers interested in the wider meaning of sport to think critically about one of the largest, most anticipated and most controversial events of our time. Paul Close is Visiting Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Globalisation and Regionalisation at the University of Warwick. David Askew is Associate Professor of Law and Xu Xin is Associate Professor of International Relations, both at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. SPORTS STUDIES / ASIAN STUDIES / OLYMPICSAskew, David is the author of 'Beijing Olympiad The Political Economy of a Sporting Mega-event', published 2007 under ISBN 9780415357012 and ISBN 0415357012.