The Olympics was billed by many as China’s coming-out party. It was to be an event that marked the country’s rapid modernisation and one that drew a line under nearly two centuries on the sidelines of global power.
To a great extent that has happened. The world sat up and watched as China progressed through its dramatic year, which lurched from unrest in Tibet and a devastating earthquake in Sichuan to the impressive display of power and efficiency (not to mention medal-winning prowess) captured in the Olympic ceremony itself. For those who had not already noticed that the rise of China was changing the planet, 2008 brought that message home.
