World | China Media at Full Boil Over China Restrictions Awarding Olympics to 'dictatorial regime' was 'drastic mistake' By Sam Biddle Posted Aug 5, 2008 4:40 PM CDT Copied Police officers push back a journalist away from an area where a large crowd was waiting to buy tickets for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Friday, July 25, 2008, in Beijing, China. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) As the Beijing Games draw near, journalists are worrying about the Chinese government's handling of a swarm of international reporters in an otherwise heavily censored society. Der Spiegel compiles commentaries from varying German sources, all of which agree that the decision to award China the 2008 Olympics was misguided at best. “The Olympics cannot be held in a country ruled by a dictatorship without having to play by its rules,” one paper argues. “They are only doing what authoritarian and dictatorial regimes always do,” comments another paper. “No one can really be unclear about the true character of the Chinese system of rule." Read These Next A game of doorbell ditch turns fatal for 11-year-old. Is India, under hefty tariffs, turning away from the US? Guy accused of snatching hat from boy at US Open IDed as rich CEO. Giuliani injured in high-speed highway crash. Report an error