Asked about the significance of the 2008 Beijing Olympics for China, Xiong Xiaozheng, a professor at Beijing Sport University, waxes lyrical for more than 10 minutes without mentioning anything as mundane as swimming or track and field.

“The hosting of these Olympics will promote the development of China’s politics, economy and culture, and will provide an excellent opportunity for the world to gain an all-round and deep understanding of this country,” Prof Xiong says.