China Lands 2008 Olympics.

On your mark ... get set ... go, China! For the first time ever, China will host the Olympic Games. Last July, the International Olympic Committee announced that the 2008 Summer Games will take place in Beijing, China's capital city.

Human-rights activists say that China does not deserve to host the Olympics. The Chinese government, they argue, denies its citizens basic freedoms and often persecutes those who speak out in protest.

But refusing China's Olympic bid, says one expert, "would have done nothing to improve either the economic or political prospects [opportunities] of average Chinese citizens."

In preparation for the Games, the Chinese government will build new parks, stadiums, and public transportation. Efforts to help clean up the environment have already begun.

Tense Relations

Although the U.S. did not block China's bid, relations between the two countries have been tense. When a Chinese jet fighter collided with a U.S. spy plane last April, a bitter standoff followed. China detained the 24 U.S. crew members for several days while their plane was taken apart and searched. (See Sept. 3 JS.)

Both nations now are working to mend fences. China recently released two imprisoned scholars at the request of the U.S. government. U.S. spy planes have resumed their flights near China, and Secretary of State Colin Powell says that China, which President George W Bush will visit next month, "is a nation that need not be seen as an enemy."

Meanwhile, many wonder if China will get more than it bargained for. The Chinese government tries to control the activities of citizens and visitors alike. But they may have trouble keeping tabs on the hordes of athletes, journalists, and tourists who descend on Beijing in 2008.