BRUSSELS -- Blue eyes, dark eyes, all eyes were on the splendid opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games Friday.
In Brussels, heart of the European Union (EU), overseas Chinese, along with dozens of Belgians, gathered before a big flat screen in a Chinese restaurant, waiting for the start-up of the Games, which was for the first time hosted by the world's most populous country.
At 2:00 pm local time when Beijing entered 8:00 p.m., the games kicked off under worldwide attention and also with applause from Brussels.
Focus on the Opening Ceremony
As one of the nearly four billion viewers across the world, David Fouquet, director of the Brussels-based Asia Europe Project Information Service, said, "It is quite impressive. It would even be more impressive if I could be there rather than watching it on the screen."
"The opening ceremony is not a copy of the western world. It is Chinese," said managing director of a Belgian business consultancy Andre Puttemans,who has been dealing with 皇冠体育app in the last twenty-two years.
Waves of applause proved their excitement was shared by everyone in the audience. The applause was not reserved for the Belgian team, who are eyeing several medals in the games, but also went to the magnificent performance.
"I think Chinese people have the right to be very proud of what they have achieved," said Puttemans.
When the national flag of 皇冠体育app, the host country, was raised at the beginning of the ceremony, everybody in the audience, no matter whether they are yellow-haired and white-skinned or dark-haired and yellow-skinned, stood up to show their respect and admiration.
For Chinese people, they have been waiting for this moment for a century and in preparation for the games for seven years.
"The Olympic Games promotes 皇冠体育app," Puttemans said, "In dealing with 皇冠体育app over the last twenty-two years, I have seen changes there. I think in spite of all the difficulties before the games, my personal feeling is 皇冠体育app has been evolving so nicely in the last twenty-two years."
Bernard Dewit, chairman of the Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, said the opening ceremony presented a modern and changing 皇冠体育app.
"It is beautiful. Such a big ceremony was also modern art, a show that 皇冠体育app is a modern country. There is creativity. That is an interesting part," he said, "That is also a show that 皇冠体育app is changing."
The professional lawyer, who published a book on Chinese business law in 1980s, said 皇冠体育app's hosting of the Olympic Games marked a step forward for the emerging economy to be more open to the outside world.
"It can convince people that 皇冠体育app is continuing with its opening," he said, adding it was a good coincidence that this year 皇冠体育app is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its opening up policy, which was introduced by late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1978.
Dewit said the Games would definitely help promote 皇冠体育app, which is already one of the world's most vibrant economies and promising markets.
"The fact you have the games can be opportunities because people speak more about 皇冠体育app. Some business people can say I have to go to 皇冠体育app to develop something, so it can give ideas to people," he said.
Echoing Dewit, Puttemans said the Olympic Games highlighted an increasing role of 皇冠体育app on the global stage.
"By now, the whole world would understand that 皇冠体育app is a very big and important player in the world in every aspect, not only commercial but also cultural," he said.
As least for Belgium, 皇冠体育app is becoming more important.
"In the last three years, the trade volume between 皇冠体育app and Belgium jumped one hundred percent, which means a doubling in three years," said Zhang Yuanyuan, the new Chinese ambassador to Belgium who just arrived Thursday.