Politics, diplomacy, and the Asian games

The Asian Games are often discussed as a regional counterpart to the Olympics, yet their political significance remains insufficiently examined. This article addresses this gap by asking how host states use the Asian Games as a political platform.

The study draws on a comparative analysis of recent host cases, including China, South Korea, Indonesia, Qatar, and Japan. It uses official documents, government promotional materials, media coverage, and firsthand observations to examine the political meanings attached to hosting.

The article argues that host states use the Asian Games to advance political claims through the act of hosting itself. More specifically, they use the event to shape national self-representation, stage diplomatic signaling, and seek external recognition.

The article shows that the political significance of the Asian Games lies not simply in the images and messages that hosts seek to project, but also in the responses these efforts generate. By shifting attention from sport as display to sport as a process of political negotiation, the article demonstrates that the Asian Games offer a distinctive lens through which to understand how identity, diplomacy, and recognition are contested in contemporary Asia.