--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Already 2008 has proved a tumultuous year…" description: "\"Already 2008 has proved a tumultuous year in terms of global perceptions of China, and there are still 59 days to go until the Beijing Olympics. The tr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/martin-jacques-6623_beijing_already-2008-has-proved-a-tumultuous-yea_2981367.png" --- # Already 2008 has proved a tumultuous year in terms of… ![“Already 2008 has proved a tumultuous year in terms of global perceptions of China, and there are still 59 days to go until the Beijing Olympics. The tragedy of the Sichuan earthquake followed hard on the heels of the riots in Tibet and the demonstrations surrounding the Olympic torch relay.” quote by Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/martin-jacques-6623_beijing_already-2008-has-proved-a-tumultuous-yea_2981367.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/martin-jacques-6623_beijing_already-2008-has-proved-a-tumultuous-yea_2981367.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/martin-jacques-6623_beijing_already-2008-has-proved-a-tumultuous-yea_2981367.png) > “Already 2008 has proved a tumultuous year in terms of global perceptions of China, and there are still 59 days to go until the Beijing Olympics. The tragedy of the Sichuan earthquake followed hard on the heels of the riots in Tibet and the demonstrations surrounding the Olympic torch relay.” [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects on China’s challenging year marked by natural disaster, political unrest, and upcoming Olympics, highlighting global perception shifts. **In simple terms:** China faced crises and scrutiny before the 2008 Olympics. Key Takeaway Recognize how events shape national image. Themes politics disaster media perception national identity Mood concerned analytical Type historical political When to use this quote - policy analysis - media commentary - historical research Key Concepts public opinion crisis management sports diplomacy Questions to Reflect On - How do crises affect a country’s soft power? - Can major events mitigate earlier negative perceptions? A Different Perspective The Olympics also brought positive global engagement, not just negative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china/) [Demonstrations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demonstrations/) [Earthquake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earthquake/) [Olympic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/olympic/) [Olympics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/olympics/) [Relay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relay/) [Riots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/riots/) [Tibet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tibet/) [Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy/) [Tumultuous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tumultuous/) ## Related quotes > [The Beijing Olympics and the Shanghai World Expo show just how much effort China is willing to spend to enter the global stage. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/the-beijing-olympics-and-the-shanghai-world-expo-show-just-how-much/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Beijing's Olympics were very grand - they were trying to throw a party for the world, but the hosts didn't enjoy it. The government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/beijing-s-olympics-were-very-grand-they-were-trying-to-throw-a-party/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [The Beijing Olympics represent China's grand entrance onto the world stage and confirmation of its new superpower status.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-jian/the-beijing-olympics-represent-china-s-grand-entrance-onto-the-world/) [Ma Jian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-jian/) > [I went to Beijing for the Olympics and was literally right across the track from Usain Bolt. And when he gets to full stride,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-pierce/i-went-to-beijing-for-the-olympics-and-was-literally-right-across-the/) [Wendell Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-pierce/) > [Our lives preserved. How it was; and how it be. Passing it along in the relay. That is what I work to do: to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-cade-bambara/our-lives-preserved-how-it-was-and-how-it-be-passing-it-along-in-the/) [Toni Cade Bambara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-cade-bambara/) > [Life isn't a race. It's a relay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/life-isn-t-a-race-it-s-a-relay/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [I'm still an old-school reporter at heart. 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It's always you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donovan-bailey/if-you-botch-a-handoff-or-stutter-step-in-a-relay-then-your-team-has/) [Donovan Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donovan-bailey/) > [I've been amazed by the numbers that have come out to see the torch relay, so being a part of it is lovely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryn-terfel/i-ve-been-amazed-by-the-numbers-that-have-come-out-to-see-the-torch/) [Bryn Terfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryn-terfel/) > [History is a relay of revolutions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-alinsky/history-is-a-relay-of-revolutions/) [Saul Alinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-alinsky/) > [I love watching track and field - the 4x100 relay, the 100-(meter) dash, the 200-(meter) dash. To see what they're able to do, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebron-james/i-love-watching-track-and-field-the-4x100-relay-the-100-meter-dash/) [LeBron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebron-james/) ## More by Martin Jacques > [There may be little practical difference between a Ford Mondeo and a BMW three series, but in terms of perceptions of who you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/there-may-be-little-practical-difference-between-a-ford-mondeo-and-a/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [No one likes to admit they are racist or bear prejudices. Nor do they even like to be open and honest when they witness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/no-one-likes-to-admit-they-are-racist-or-bear-prejudices-nor-do-they/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [If the truth be told, we are a society that is dripping in racism. This is not in the least surprising. For the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/if-the-truth-be-told-we-are-a-society-that-is-dripping-in-racism-this/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [In Formula One, the car can make a difference in a way that a driver cannot. 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What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/our-leaders-increasingly-see-fit-to-lecture-the-ethnic-minorities-on/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [If one wanted to find a modern symbol of personal freedom, the motor car is right there near the top of the list. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/if-one-wanted-to-find-a-modern-symbol-of-personal-freedom-the-motor/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [Blair - except at the edges - was a Thatcherite. Brown, in contrast, regarded Thatcherism as something that had to be taken on board…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/blair-except-at-the-edges-was-a-thatcherite-brown-in-contrast/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [Western countries are thoroughly accustomed to being the centre of global attention, which they have come to regard as their natural birthright. Not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/western-countries-are-thoroughly-accustomed-to-being-the-centre-of/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [The American model was celebrated by Thatcherites and New Labour alike, California worshipped as the model of the future, 'Anglo-Saxon' embalmed as the fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/the-american-model-was-celebrated-by-thatcherites-and-new-labour/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [One of the characteristics of New Labour - and Miliband is irredeemably of that species - is that, in the guise of a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/one-of-the-characteristics-of-new-labour-and-miliband-is-irredeemably/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [The two ethnic groups that remain fundamentally different from the Han Chinese - in terms of history, culture, language, religion and physical appearance -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/the-two-ethnic-groups-that-remain-fundamentally-different-from-the/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [Sport is increasingly played according to the tune, and rules, of those with the biggest bucks, whether their practices be legal or illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/sport-is-increasingly-played-according-to-the-tune-and-rules-of-those/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [Following the end of the Cold War, there was much discussion concerning the point of NATO. In the event, it was reinvented as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/following-the-end-of-the-cold-war-there-was-much-discussion/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) [Explore all 98 Martin Jacques quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) ## More Beijing quotes > [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/) [Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/) > [I see the Beijing National Stadium as an architectural project. 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Maybe because I live in Beijing, and in this city we have such severe challenges due…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-bingbing/air-pollution-is-my-biggest-concern-right-now-maybe-because-i-live-in/) [Li Bingbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-bingbing/) > [Coming into London having the experience of Beijing is really good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-simmonds/coming-into-london-having-the-experience-of-beijing-is-really-good/) [Ellie Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-simmonds/) > [Well it did not make excessive sense to say that 20 million people are the recognized government of a billion people that have their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/well-it-did-not-make-excessive-sense-to-say-that-20-million-people/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [I was born and raised in Vancouver. I moved to Beijing in 2010 just before the Olympics. Being an Asian Canadian actor, the amount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osric-chau/i-was-born-and-raised-in-vancouver-i-moved-to-beijing-in-2010-just/) [Osric Chau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osric-chau/) > [If you're in the movies and you haven't been to Beijing, you're kind of missing where things are really happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-minkoff/if-you-re-in-the-movies-and-you-haven-t-been-to-beijing-you-re-kind/) [Rob Minkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-minkoff/) > [By 2040, the Sahara will be moving into Europe and Berlin will be as hot as Baghdad. 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