Beijing 2008: Preparing for Glory - Chinese Challenge in the ''Chinese Century'' brings together international scholars with an interest in sport and politics and sinologists with an interest in China - past, present and future - to explore global reaction to the Beijing Olympics - China''s anticipated moment of glory on the world stage.

The Beijing Olympics is, first and foremost, a political act and assertion. It is also a statement of national intent, the culmination of ideological effort going back to 1949 and the outcome of political, social, cultural and economic change.

From the moment of the birth of the ''New China'' sport has been viewed as a means of internal and external projection illustrating the capacity of the system and people to more than hold their own with those of other nations. In short, sport has been the chosen ''stage'' on which the Chinese perform in pursuit of world recognition, respect and esteem.

This assertion is not hard to understand. China''s ''century of humiliation'' at the hands of first the West and then Japan remains a traumatic experience. Beijing 2008 is to assist the restoration of China''s national self-esteem. He Zhenliang, Chairman of the IOC Commission for the Culture of Olympic Education, has remarked pointedly that the most significant outcome of the Beijing Games will be the elevation of the self-confidence and sense of pride of the Chinese people.

Beijing 2008 will be an act of political self-renewal on the world stage.

This Collection demonstrates that sport is inseparable from politics.

This book was previously published as a special issue of the International Journal of the History of Sport.