Special report: What Olympic success means to Xi’s China

China ’s first gold in Paris generated a hashtag viewed 230 million times on Chinese social media on July 26 , reported the What's on Weibo ’ website.

China has participated in the Olympics since 1932 , it took nearly 50 years to achieve gold with Xu Haifeng ’ victory at the 1984 Los Angeles Games .

China views Olympic medals as reflecting on the glory of the entire country.

Doping scandal has overshadowed international swim races since the World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed reports in April that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine a medication that increases blood flow to the heart before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 .

China ’s swimmers have hit back with their own barbs, who questioned the overall transparency of the anti-doping system ahead of the Games.

Many felt that “in the larger context of US - China competition rivalry, that the US has excessive power.

Dr Lu offered an alternative view of attitudes within the nation of 1.4 billion that was now confident in its economic rise and influential status in the world.

Dr Chen said the 2008 Games had been “all about China ’s great revival, taking a step forward to national rejuvenation, peaceful rising”.