'From Wiltshire to Westminster'

                       as published in the Wiltshire Times

7 August 2008

Dr Andrew Murrison MP

Running round and round in circles, clearing hurdles, the high-jump and getting into deep water – who says sport has nothing to do with politics? The inscrutable Chinese understand full well the political dimension of the Olympic Games.

The true measure of success at Beijing over the next few days will be the extent to which China is brought into the international family of nations, politically, not which sporty types get to hang gongs about their necks.

The IOC made a choice in Beijing that, potentially, is worth a thousand diplomatic missions. China 's attitude to the welfare and autonomy of its people and its dependencies may leave a lot to be desired, but it has come a long way.  If the 2008 Games move the country and its rulers that bit closer to the standard that most in the west take for granted, the jamboree will have been a success.

Ken Livingstone, retired but sadly still banging on, has been crowing about the likely rise of China and the fall of the US.  But his staple left wing loathing of all things American may be getting the better of him.

There is nothing inevitable about the fortunes of any country or continent – witness the decline of the great civilisations of the Middle East, the rape of the breadbaskets of Africa or, against all odds, the survival of Israel.  However, if China was a greyhound I'd be off down the dog track to see Honest Jim.

We'd better get used to the idea that in the decades ahead China is going to mean a whole lot more to us than chicken chow mein and crispy noodles.

Hopefully, London 2012 will benefit London. But Beijing 2008 is written on a much broader canvass – it has the potential to benefit the world.