Many questions were raised when Beijing won the Olympics bid in 2001. Did the International Olympics Committee make the right decision? Will hosting the Games really make China more open and help improve its rights record? Will China integrate better into the international community as a result of the Olympics? Some of these hopes and promises have turned out to be little more than wishful thinking. An uncompromising Beijing did not cede an inch on sensitive political issues during the Games. What then are the prospects for progress in areas like human rights, media freedom, transparency, and accountability after the Games? Will the Chinese government take a harder line now that it does not need to play nice? The answers may not be known for months or years.