Beijing notes: World leaders treated to Chinese feast

The kid who stood beside Yao Ming in front in the parade of the Chinese delegation during the opening ceremonies was one of the victims of the Sichuan earthquake tragedy.

World leaders were treated to a feast by President Hu Jintao on the eve of the opening ceremonies at a banquet that included an assortment of cold dishes – crystal shrimp, fish rolls, goose liver pate, leaf mustard boiled in oil and a thousand-layer bean curd cake, served on a platter the shape of a traditional Chinese royal lantern. Next came specially designed Bird’s Nest seasonal vegetables, accompanied by prime steak served on a lotus leaf and cod in soy sauce…and many more. An imperial lauriat consists of at least 16 different dishes.

People who are curious about China’s Olympic budget have various quotations. According to some wild guesses, the Beijing Games is the most expensive in history, with total cost reaching almost 300 billion yuan ($43 billion). Officials had not released the official figures, or at least some ballpark figures.  For China, 300 billion yuan is a drop in the bucket. It’s only 1.5 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP).

It was the first time 80 world leaders have gathered on one single occasion. At the airport, officials had to contend with over 30 special flights on top of 300 regular flights, making sure that dignitaries got out of the airport within 10 minutes of their arrival.

The Games, aside from the Opening Ceremonies, had enlightened China’s critics from the West. Journalists here are one in their belief that China should not be judged by the standards of the West, let alone by the democratic beliefs of the United States. For one, China has succeeded in feeding 1.30 billion citizens a day and has reduced poverty to only 11 million, from 200 million 30 years ago. – Gerry Carpio