With much welcomed news about the release of human rights lawyer Teng Biao in China on Saturday, I really cannot ascertain as to what effects the Olympics had on creating a more open China. In theory, the Olympics were a tool to focus the spotlight on a nation notorious for civil rights crackdowns. With such an intense spotlight, China would not like to portray itself in such low esteem relative to international standards, and would as such ease up on its authoritarian practices. And while this has had other effects such as the massive pollution controls imposed in Beijing, can you spin the release of Teng Biao as a detention strictly caused by their fear of him speaking out during the Olympics, or a grant of freedom with such news coming so close to the games? And would China have been more or less outspoken over the atrocities in Darfur if there were no Olympics coming? I’m also not sure. To be sure, journalists like Shi Tao are still being unfairly imprisoned, but movements for an Olympic Year of Freedom of Expression and calling the 2008 games the Genocide Olympics are clearly rattling the leaders of China as well.

I guess only time will tell.

UPDATE: The Washington Post has an editorial discussing the topic of using the Olympics as leverage.