A diplomat's tales of three Chinese cities

"Bird's Nest" national stadium in Beijing was built in 2008. [Photo/CFP]

When my friends at China Daily proposed that I share with its readers some impressions from my experience of living in China, I thought that one day I would like to write a book to record in detail those impressions and rich experiences I gained through living and working in this great land. However, for an article I have to be brief. Therefore, what I would like to share are some of the dimensions that I discovered about China and the Chinese people through my experiences in three different cities.

Beijing

Beijing was my home city in China. I have many fond memories of my life there, that developed to a sense of belonging to the city that makes part of me feel like a "Beijinger". Of all the cities that I had lived in around the world, Beijing was the only one that I kept returning to after leaving it.

From 2005 to 2008, I observed Beijing planning and preparing for the opening of the Olympic Games that took place at 8 pm on Aug 8, 2008. The capital city was transformed in many ways. Ancient sites were restored in a magnificent way. Many old neighborhoods gave way to new residential, shopping, and business areas that were developed with state-of-the-art architecture and landscaping. In my view, ordinary people were the champions of the event: the construction workers who came from the provinces to build the Olympic City and Beijing's new high-risers, the middle school children who hosted students from a school in Egypt to celebrate the spirit of the Olympics, and the senior citizens of the city who I used to meet in the parks. They would practice their English language with me so that they could volunteer as guides to foreign visitors during the Olympics. Needless to say, the Chinese youth who volunteered during the events from the opening until the closing ceremonies of the Olympics were equally champions.

What I realized during this period was that as much as hosting the Olympics was a goal to be achieved by the Chinese people, it was also used as a mean to upgrade Beijing's infrastructure and services. In addition to that, the Olympics were a way to develop the capabilities of the Chinese people and further integrate them with the world. It was also an opportunity to show the world what China and its people have achieved through 30 years of opening up and reform. Furthermore, the Olympics built a momentum that was built upon in subsequent years. The Beijing Olympics proved to be a successful model that was emulated throughout the country, such as when Shanghai hosted the Shanghai Expo in 2010 and when Guangzhou hosted the Asian Games in 2011. These successes show how the Chinese government is developing society by setting goals and challenges to meet. Once these goals have been achieved, they create a model to be followed and built upon in different areas.