Introduction: The opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics has ended successfully, but this grand event is still a hot topic at home and abroad. From the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games to the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, China has undergone a huge transformation in the past 14 years from telling "me" to "we". In this regard, the Observer Network interviewed geopolitical adviser Thomas A. Thompson, who was invited to the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics. W. Bowen II, who felt the silent respect of the Chinese audience at the opening ceremony.
【Interview/Observer Network Shen Yumeng】
Observer.com: What was the most surprising part of the opening ceremony?
Thomas S. W. Bowken II: I had long anticipated that the Chinese government would host a grand event at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, so I was mentally prepared. It's like people constantly praising a movie and it makes people expect it, but the movie can't exceed your expectations because our expectations were high in the first place and that's the first impression on my mind.
As a geopolitical advisor and commentator on world affairs, I consider myself a shrewd "human observer" with an in-depth understanding of psychology. Therefore, at this opening ceremony, what impressed me even more was the crowd.
Invitation to the opening ceremony of thomas's Winter Olympics.
I was invited by the Chinese Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, and they very warmly invited my wife and I to this amazing event. They also invited many other foreigners living in Beijing, so you can see a large group of foreigners and foreign diplomats in the Bird's Nest Area A1.
At the same time, there were many young people in attendance, and I admired their courtesy and respect for their host, China, most of whom were college students, but obviously they were more mature than their actual age. During the admission session of foreign athletes, the Chinese audience behaved politely.
At the beginning, I was curious about how the Chinese audience would react when the Lithuanian national team came on, but the Chinese audience was just silent, and I didn't see any Chinese audiences mocking or mocking Lithuanian athletes.
Although the Lithuanian government had previously publicly established a "representative office in Lithuania and Taiwan", this was a serious insult to Chinese citizens. But when the Lithuanian national team entered, I saw a Lithuanian cheering for his own athletes, no one harassed or disturbed him, and the Chinese audience respected him.
Similarly, Japanese Olympic athletes have been respected, and while few Chinese cheered on them, it is understandable given the historical war between these two wealthy and powerful Asian nations. Yes, I did stand there cheering for American athletes, but I only saw about 5 Americans like me. When American athletes entered, most of the Chinese audience was quiet, but we Americans felt the silent respect from the Chinese audience.
I've also noticed that American athletes look happy and relaxed, and even though the U.S. doesn't send officials to the Olympics, they're happy to be there. I've seen some American athletes and Chinese dancers dancing, and that makes me proud of them because we Americans like to "show our faces."
Observer Network: Winter Olympics director Zhang Yimou said: "The opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games is the iconic opening ceremony in the history of the Olympic Games, and the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will be completely different, but equally touching and impressive, it reflects our current era." From "I" to "we", do you think China has changed in the international world in the past 14 years? What kind of ideas does China want to convey to the world today?
Thomas S. W. Bowen II: The opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics was amazing, and when I watched the opening ceremony of '08 on TV, I decided to move to China to live and work there. In October 2010, I came to Beijing and started my first job here as an editor for China Radio International.
I was impressed by the opening ceremony in 2008 because it showed the Chinese spirit in its greatest moments, with the actors dressed in traditional Chinese costumes, playing traditional Chinese instruments in unison, showcasing a lot of kung fu and acrobatics. As China says, "This is who we are, and we will not change." It was the "boldness" of this sentence that inspired me to come to China.
I admire that because I've seen so many people from other countries who are trying to imitate Hollywood or American pop culture, but China has shown that we can make a dazzling show without any American character.
I have always been attracted to confident and smart people, and my wife Zhou Yawei is smart and confident, which is why I married her. She was proud to be Chinese, she loved her country, and Americans respected those who had a deep patriotic heart for their homeland. We Americans are patriots, Chinese are also patriots, and self-confidence also has a very unique charm.
Thomas and his wife Zhou Yawei were at the opening ceremony.
At the opening ceremony in 2022, China's economy has become stronger and become a global superpower in science and technology. Showcasing so many "CG effects" at the show is the right move, as if to say that China is an innovative country.
I also like the video about china's 24 solar terms, but if you want to understand the real China, you have to live in China for a long time, you need to have a deeper understanding and wisdom of China's climate and culture. At the opening ceremony, the numerous dancers, who had many different groups and different costumes, showed Beijing's love and admiration for all the ethnic groups living on Chinese soil. The children are the future and they played an important role in the opening ceremony. It is great to be able to witness all this, and when thinking about "us", Chinese really pay more attention to social harmony and support the greater interests of society from the perspective of ancient Confucian culture.
Screenshot of a video recorded by Thomas live.
Observer Network: The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will reflect the "Green Olympics" and "Science and Technology Olympics" compared with the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and it has gone up a big step. Foreign media commented that China's "closed-loop" management measures are a metaphor for the gradual distancing of China's and Western concepts. What are your thoughts on this?
Thomas S. W. Bowken II: The Western media will never stop complaining about China, and that will never change. Even if China listens to their criticism and follows their instructions, the Western media will toss a coin-like "double standard", ridicule Chinese act like a Western "slave to public opinion".
Chinese should relax on these foreign criticisms, because there is absolutely no need to be sensitive and worried about their remarks. Critics simply screamed without offering any pragmatic solutions.
Western media outlets publish crazy reports about China only to infuriate Chinese and not give them undeserved publicity or recognition. When we think about it, Chinese should ask ourselves, are we going to watch these fake news? I suggest they answer "no".
Observer Network: On social media at home and abroad, there are many Winter Olympic athletes who are evaluating the Olympic Village and the facilities of the snow field, and most of them are full of praise for China's organizational work. Can you evaluate the Beijing Winter Olympics as a whole?
Thomas S. W. Bowen II: When I hear positive reviews from Olympic athletes, and american athletes, I'm very happy that they can say that. This reminds me of the advice I often tell readers and fans, if you want to know the real China, then take a look at the country, just take a look.
After a complete tour of China, to decide whether China is a good country or a bad country, my father is from Dallas, Texas, usa, he has always thought of China as an "evil" country, so he does not understand why I moved to China.
But I was an adult and had the right to choose how to live, and later I married a lovely Chinese woman and we raised our youngest son Peter together in Beijing. So my dad was curious and wanted to meet us in Beijing in 2015, but he was scared and worried because he had never been to China before and he was a Vietnam War veteran.
A week after he visited China, he fell in love with China, and when he got on the plane back to the United States, when I asked him what he wanted to say, he said, "Tom, your decision to come to China was the right one, you married the right woman." When I returned to the United States, I wanted more people to understand the good side of China. I'll tell them, but I'm not sure the Americans will listen to me. ”
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