I don't think it will be settled in a few weeks, tensions may be less but settled I don't think so. Unless you mean both sides will settle down but this looks like it will be ongoing. Things are being cancelled now but maybe not affect figure skating.
That's the hope. But at this point all things are unclear as to how might things turn out and looking not good. Some international sporting events in China are on the verge of cancellation due to some withdrawals of athletes.Originally Posted by sky_fly20
This is a territorial dispute - there are many of those, involving various countries, and they flare up occasionally. There have been numerous sporting events held over the years in countries where the political and even military situation is not ideal. So far all we've had in China is demonstrations and property damage; unless things escalate, I don't see why this means that sporting events will be unsafe. This isn't on par with what's been happening in Libya or Cairo.
One thing is natural disaster but another is politics. I am very sad when politics gets in the way of good, fair competition. I am not sure if it is rational though to give those who do not participate due to political and or national tension. Sometimes bad things happen to good people - injuries, death to family members, loss of job etc. and it may affect a competition but despite how you might feel sorry I am not sure it is appropriate to try to make a right by doing a wrong ie. more competitiors at other COP events so other skaters may pay the price literally ie. more people for only so much money. Everyone has different opinons and sadly often opinions or perspectives lead to huge fights sometimes wars. Let the skating children play/ skate. I wish the nations could settle their differences without violence or the threat or suggestion of violence.
Things will settle down in a few weeks assuming neither China nor Japan make any more provocative actions. That's the big question--when will one side make another move? If they can hold off until after CoC, I doubt anything serious will come of this recent spat.
Wow! Looks like this thread could be shoved into Politics folder in Le Café much sooner than I thought.
If this is a sensitive issue in China, it must be a sensitive issue on an international board where there are a lot of Chinese readers and posters.
It is in the best interest of both Japan and China to keep the open doors on economic and cultural levels. I don't think Japan doesn't care about losing this biggest market in its neighborhood. In any case, Japan will lose a lot as well if the tension builds up for a long time. I think it'll be quiet down if Japan doesn't touch any more sensitive nerves of China. I agree with Buttercup that it is not another Libya or Cairo. US Embassy and Japan Embassy should be fine.
It'll be ridiculous to add Japanese skaters into other GP events. It won't happen. I think there are only these possibilities:
1. CoC proceeds as usual. Japanese skaters attend it. Nothing happens.
2. CoC proceeds as usual. JSF decides not to let Japanese skaters attend. Japanese skaters lose the chance for GPF.
3. CoC postponed to a later date.
4. CoC cancelled and moved to another country.
5. CoC cancelled but cannot find another host country.
Last edited by Bluebonnet; 09-20-2012 at 12:23 PM.
I think this is a very intricate issue and that assigning blame is pointless. But what I do know is that we have no idea if any of those protesters are figure skating fans. I would like to think figure skating fans love the sport so much that they support athletes from the world over. Just as Shen and Zhao were given standing ovations in Japan, so too have Mao and Mirai in China. Unless one of us is in the Skating Federation of that country or National Sports Council, nobody really knows what is actually going on and why calls are being made as such.
So many China and Japan experts on this thread.Politics and sports shouldn't mix.
Indeed. Unless a political situation really makes sporting events impossible to hold, I think these are two things that need to be looked at separately. Which has basically been my point on this thread all along; I certainly don't know who has the right of it in this specific dispute.So many China and Japan experts on this thread.
As others have stated, a lot of the discussion needed to go into the politics forum. You must have 100 posts to participate in the politics section of the board (which is a subsection of Le Cafe).
Let's keep this thread more about skating/competition and not the other stuff, thanks.
Based on what I'm seeing on the ground here right now, I would not be sending Japanese athletes, and possibly not USA athletes, to CoC. The situation is quite volatile and safety/security is a real concern. I normally pass through and near the main affected area in Beijing almost everyday, and now need to give it a wide berth and reroute/replan. Understand that these protests are going on with underlying Chinese government sponsorship, and if they wanted to, they could certainly take control over the area, boot out the protestors, tell everybody to go about their normal business, and get things quieted down. It is telling that over the last few days, nothing of the sort has happened. The police have been ordered to stand around and let the mob rule...well, maybe the incident with the US Ambassador and his car yesterday will turn the tide on the inaction.
It is possible that at least for CoC competition purposes, life will go back to normal over the next few weeks and the political issues will be handled as they should be (i.e. not by mobs on the streets). We can be hopeful. It's a little premature for anybody to be formally withdrawing their athletes right now. I don't know what the timing is for giving ISU notice of withdrawal, so alternative skaters can be named and prepared, but I'd think at least 3 weeks in advance of the competition, as Chinese visas for replacement skaters would need to be procured and travel arrangements made. Maybe somebody else knows the official ISU rules. I doubt if the ISU will entertain the thought of moving CoC to somewhere else, even if it was logistically possible. And the other countries' skaters should be OK, barring some completely unforeseen negative development.
Based on my previous experiences of many years at CoC in Beijing, Japanese skaters have always been treated very respectfully and even enthusiastically by the Chinese audience, even though there are underlying non-skating nationalistic grudges going back for decades. I would like to think that will continue even with the current heightened tension and Shanghai venue--if anything, Shanghai tends to be more worldly, tolerant, and less nationalistic than Beijing. So I don't think the skaters have anything to fear from the Chinese skating community and skating fans. Chinese skating fans appreciate top notch skating and a great show, regardless of who's on the ice. It's the outside-the-rink part that would worry me more.
stay safe, bigsisjiejie!
Yeah, am trying to schedule myself out of Beijing as much as possible these days!
Don't blame you!
indeed, It has become too heated now, I don't normally like talking about Politics so its time for this tread to be moved to politics sectionSo many China and Japan experts on this thread.
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