
The Chinese state-run Global Times has blamed French culture for a series of organizational errors at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. The publication attributed the mistakes to the “sense of relaxation” prevalent in French society, which it claimed led to significant blunders such as confusing North and South Korea and misspelling athletes’ names on official social media accounts.
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, held last Friday, drew criticism in the West for its controversial use of pagan imagery and sexually suggestive content. However, the most serious issue arose when the South Korean delegation was incorrectly introduced as representing North Korea, a nation with which South Korea has been in a state of war for decades. This error, along with blurred images of the South Korean flag on social media, created a diplomatic incident.
Beyond these political blunders, the Games have faced numerous logistical issues. Pollution in the Seine River led to the postponement of several events, and environmentalist-driven restrictions on air conditioning forced some athletes to bring their own cooling devices or relocate from the Olympic Village.
The Global Times reported that “Chinese netizens” attributed these problems to French cultural attitudes rather than the shortcomings of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or the inherent challenges of organizing the Olympics. The article mocked the French organizing committee, suggesting their mistakes were due to a relaxed and casual approach.
Additional errors noted by the Global Times included the incorrect identification of an Argentine swimmer as Chinese, causing her significant embarrassment. The article concluded that these numerous mistakes reflected a French “openness, freedom, and inclusiveness,” though the tone was clearly sarcastic.
This critique is consistent with past comments from the Global Times, such as a 2018 editorial that criticized Brazilian culture during the 2016 Rio Olympics, suggesting that Brazilians were less diligent than the Chinese. Despite friendly relations between China and France, the Global Times did not hesitate to criticize the Paris Olympics.
Conversely, the Global Times praised Chinese manufacturing contributions to the Paris Games, highlighting the role of Chinese products in enhancing the event’s technological and visual aspects. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning claimed that Chinese products would support the Games with superior technology and service.
China has hosted the Olympics twice: the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics, both in Beijing. The latter event was controversial due to China’s human rights record, particularly its treatment of Uyghur Muslims, and its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.