Changing China
Giant on the move
Farewell from the Bird’s Nest
Well, not quite the Bird’s Nest, but from the Reuters office at the Main Press Centre, just down the road.
Thanks for coming by and making this blog such a lively place during the Olympics. It might not quite be the end — the blog will still be here, the comments will remain open and we may well have a few more posts on Games-related issues — but I’m on my way out of Beijing (the office is being dismantled around me, as you can see).
Thanks too to China for hosting such a great Games, and to all my colleagues from Reuters text and pictures who posted here.
If you’re just stumbling across this blog, have a scroll down, check back through previous pages and look at some of the many brilliant pieces from long before the Games started and all the way through to the end. You could while away a good few hours here if you want to relive the Olympics.
If you’re a fan of soccer/football you may want to drop by the Reuters Soccer Blog here. Otherwise, roll on London 2012….
Kevin Fylan
Beckham hits Beijing
As if any more glitz was needed at the Beijing Olympics, David Beckham flew into China at the weekend to promote the 2012 Games in London.
The former England captain has millions of fans in China. He will appear in the Bird’s Nest at the Olympics closing ceremony tonight, kicking a ball into the crowd from a red double-decker bus to symbolise the handover to London.
After a quick change into immaculate tie-and-jacket, Beckham popped on to a hotel balcony overlooking Tiananmen Square to see the sunset and have a chat with Reuters.
As something of a showboater himself, Beckham believes Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt has a right to celebrate his feats on the track despite criticism from the Olympics boss that his jubilant style shows disrespect for fellow athletes.
As a born-and-bred Londoner, Beckham is delighted the Olympics are coming home and thinks they can be even better than in China.
Is he right?
PHOTO: David Beckham plays a soccer match against West Ham United in Toronto July 24, 2008. REUTERS/Chris Young
from the article: …”As a born-and-bred Londoner, Beckham is delighted the Olympics are coming home and thinks they can be even better than in China.”
Talk is cheap.
Beijing podcast — day 15
Join us on the penultimate podcast from the Games for a look at Argentina’s win in the football, mixed feelings for Jamaica in the 4x100m relays and the prospect of Pearly Kings and Queens taking over the Bird’s Nest stadium.
Paul Radford, Al Himmer, Robert Woodward, Julian Linden and Paul Majendie join me around the laptop. Sorry about the end-of-term feel.
Destiny of the Bird\’s Nest and the World Economy
Bird\’s Nest is an architectural achievement besides the glory it has brought to the Olympics and China. What will happen to the $450M structure? It would be a shame to let it just fade in history. Perhaps this blog and all blogs related to the Bird\’s Nest should direct their comments to creative ideas on how to make use of the Bird’s Nest for the 21st century.
As a starter, I would suggest to the Chinese government (major world traders and UN) to consider offering (asking) it for housing a meaningful UN presence at the Bird’s Nest and an economical stimulus program which is designed to stimulate the weakened global economy and to sustain a healthy world economical development for decades to come.
For this purpose, a recent article, entitled, Global Barter Stimulus Program,
http://www.mwsearch.com/GlobalBarterStim ulusProgram.html,
is a relevant proposal in which it has Presented an idea of stimulating and sustaining the global economy via a country to country large scale bartering program to immediately guarantee credits and trades to each other to stimulate the economy of the participating bartering countries and the global commerce. The use of the Bird’s Nest for such an idea by setting up a permanent world bartering arena, inviting global major trading countries to participate (rotating and continuous) and stimulating global commerce may be a timely idea with immediate effective impact to the global economy. Hence, it may be a worthy proposal for China, major world traders and UN to consider. Bloggers\’ wisdom are called to add their comments to accelerate the realization of a meaningful proposal. Then perhaps, the Bird’s Nest will become a giant hatching nest to hatch deals to sustain global economy and world economical development.
Dr. Wordman, NY, USA
Http://www.mwsearch.com/GlobalBarterStim ulusProgram.html