Speaking with BFM 89.9, MEI Senior Fellow Professor James Dorsey says that hosting mega sporting events is a way for countries with reputational problems to project themselves in a different light, since modern diplomacy takes place between cultures and peoples.  Hosting such events can stimulate tourism, focus interest on that country and enhance a state’s soft power, though it comes with a large price tag and potential domestic backlash, so each country must conduct their own cost-benefit analysis with reference to their unique environment, he adds. Listen to the full interview here.

Image caption: 2019 SEA Games Closing Ceremony in Clark, Philippines. Photo: Ted Aljibe/ AFP.