The Chinese state-run media outlet Global Times has harshly criticized the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, attributing a series of organizational blunders to French culture. The publication claimed that the “sense of relaxation” typical of French society was responsible for mistakes such as confusing North and South Korea and misspelling athletes’ names on official social media accounts.
The Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony, which took place last Friday, faced significant backlash in the West for its controversial pagan imagery and sexually explicit content.
However, the most egregious error occurred when the South Korean delegation was mistakenly introduced as representing North Korea, a nation with which South Korea has been at war for 74 years. This diplomatic faux pas, along with Olympic social media accounts posting blurred images of the South Korean flag, escalated into an international incident.
Additionally, the Games have encountered numerous logistical challenges, including fecal pollution in the Seine River that forced the postponement of several events.
Environmentalist-driven efforts to reduce the use of air conditioning led some athletes to bring their own cooling devices or move out of the Olympic Village entirely.
The Global Times article cited “Chinese netizens” who attributed these issues to French cultural traits rather than failures of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or problems inherent in organizing large-scale events. The article mocked the French organizing committee’s mistakes, suggesting they reflected a laid-back attitude.
Other errors noted by the Global Times included the misidentification of an Argentine swimmer as Chinese, which caused significant embarrassment. The article concluded that the numerous mistakes and awkward moments demonstrated a French “openness, freedom, and inclusiveness,” though the tone was clearly derisive.
This critique echoes past sentiments from the Global Times, such as a 2018 editorial that disparaged Brazilian culture during the 2016 Rio Olympics, suggesting that Brazilians were less hardworking than the Chinese. Despite friendly diplomatic relations between China and France, the Global Times did not hesitate to criticize the Paris Games.
In contrast, the Global Times praised Chinese manufacturing contributions to the Paris Olympics, highlighting China’s role in providing high-quality sporting equipment and technology. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stated that Chinese products would enhance the visual and technological aspects of the Games.
China has hosted the Olympics twice: the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics, both in Beijing. The latter event was marred by controversies related to China’s human rights record, particularly the treatment of Uyghur Muslims, and its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
