Beijing Olympics 2008.

The official 2008 logo.

I have a confession to make. When Beijing was announced as the host for the 2008 summer Olympics back in 2001, i was disappointed. I had been pulling for Paris, simply because it is one of my favorite cities in the world. Also, many felt that awarding Beijing the Olympics would be seen as condoning China’s human rights violations and its occupation of Tibet. Still others felt that hosting the Olympics would put pressure on China to reform and modernize. In short, both are coming true.

China's prodigal son, Yao Ming is a force on the court and in advertisements.

Hosting the Olympics is a huge opportunity for the host country. Billions of dollars in tourist revenue and corporate sponsorships flood into the country. The host city benefits from the construction of new roads, subway systems, and state of the art sports facilities. But possibly the most important aspect of hosting the Olympics is the global exposure a city and country receive. If the games are seen as successful, tourism and general worldwide interest will continue for years.

Think Beijing is excited? The countdown is on.

In 2004, Greece was running far behind in its preparations as Olympic hosts. Several facilities hadn’t even begun construction just months before the games were to begin. There was even word of a backup plan that would send the Olympics back to Sydney in the event that Athens failed to be ready. In China, the story is completely different. Beijing just may be the most prepared city in the history of the Olympics.

China's Olympic slogan - One World, One Dream.

It is still over a year before the games will take place, but Beijing is far ahead of schedule in its preparations. In the next few weeks, the city will stage a “dry run” of the Olympics - a full year before the real games. Over a million cars will be taken off the streets and mock events will be held to test crowd control and transportation facilities. It also gives the city a chance to show off its new facilities to the public.

The Olympic mascots all wrapped up and ready to go.

Construction is taking place all over the city and the completion date for everything being built is the same – before the Olympics begin. Over two million Chinese migrant workers have come to Beijing from other parts of the country for the current construction boom. A few months before the games, they all will be kicked out. I spoke with a reporter for a state-owned Chinese newspaper and when i asked him about this, he put it differently: “These workers aren’t actually from here, so they’re not being kicked out. They will be encouraged to return to their home provinces.” In China, encouraged means mandatory.

Corporate sponsorships are already in full swing.

After seeing firsthand such dramatic improvements, i am now very glad that Beijing has the opportunity to host the 2008 games. Paris is already a great city and has less room to improve. The Chinese people are so proud to be hosts and are eager to show their country off to the world. Still, i worry that China’s growing economic muscle and international profile is enough for the global community to turn a blind eye to many of the unseemly activities that still occur behind closed doors. I also worry about the future of Tibet, with sovereignty becoming less and less likely, China is working hard to see that the culture is quietly being extinguished. In the end, there is little doubt that the Olympics will be a smashing success - the Chinese wouldn't have it any other way.

Advertisements every 20 feet in the Xi'an airport.