LONDON — The Chinese government fought hard for the right to host this year's Olympic Games. It remains to be seen whether the huge costs involved in holding them will have brought commensurate benefits to China.
Beijing has benefited from new world-class sporting venues, but their construction has involved the destruction of much of the old city and the eviction of many thousands of poor people from their homes, apparently without adequate compensation.
Pollution in Beijing has been temporarily alleviated by shutting down factories and drastically limiting traffic, but air quality remains poor. Storms have added to the misery of the athletes in August, which is typically hot and sticky.