That will come in a secret ballot at a meeting in Moscow in July. But this week, IOC evaluators gave Beijing a big thumbs-up. There is some history here. In 1993, Beijing was pipped at the post for the 2000 Summer Games by Sydney. It lost in the final ballot by a mere two votes and, afterwards, there were understandable claims of foul play in China.
Tradition is also a factor in the coming decision.
The Olympic movement has always prided itself on its ability to bridge old divides and bring all the countries of the world together. Then there is the future to consider, too. Perhaps the IOC would like to be seen to be leading this trend. And, although it tries to keep politics out of its deliberations, it knows that winning the Games is a matter of fierce national pride. As China's communist rulers see it, it is a symbolic test of China's acceptance by others as a leading player on the world stage.