The Olympic Games and International Relations: The Case of Beijing 2008

Abstract

International sporting events have largely been ignored by International Relations since it neglects the dominant paradigm realist tradition because of its apolitical nature. This article, nevertheless, argues that international sporting events have been used politically and diplomatically by states, particularly by great powers, as a tool for domestic and foreign affairs. A recent instance was the 2008 Olympic Games, held by China, which is used as the case study in this article. By reframing a realist-based framework of states and international sport, the article analyses the importance of hosting the events to China’s international strategy its struggle for acknowledged status as a great power and concludes that the 2008 Beijing Olympics were a well-planned political and diplomatic project that China successfully utilized in reaching its goal.