Forget the Athletes. Who are the Real Olympic Winners?

摘要

Since being awarded to Beijing on July 13,2001, the Olympics have been the driving force in the Chinese capital's metamorphosis into a world-class metropolis. At $2 billion, the Beijing Games will be the most expensive in history - not even counting the close to $40 billion spent on new subway lines, office towers and other related infrastructure. The massive investment in Olympic construction has made Beijing itself a swirl of superlatives. The city is now host to the world's most expensive building (CCTV headquarters) and its largest airport, and it will likely overtake London by 2015 as home to the largest subway system. China's coming-out party has provided (and will continue to provide) huge benefits to a range of sectors that can be dubbed "Olympic winners" even before the Games begin. The importance that the Chinese government has attached to the Olympics has not, however, been all positive for business on the mainland. Tightening restrictions on visas, inspired in part by the torch relay fiasco, threaten to undermine foreign business interests in China.