Sealed off from its host city by a labyrinth of high fences, thermal gates and facial-recognition cameras, this is an Olympics like no other. Politics, protests and Covid protocols have become an unavoidable part of the build-up to these Games, and if anything, events taking place outside the sporting arena during the next two weeks will receive as much attention as actions on the ice and snow.
How China responds will be a major test for the country's leader Xi Jinping, who is gearing up for an unprecedented third term in power this fall. "The world is turning its eyes to China, and China is ready," Xi said Thursday ahead of the opening ceremony.
