JOIE CHEN, CNN ANCHOR: Beijing was viewed as a very favored going in to today's vote, in part because it had narrowly lost to Sydney, Australia to host the 2,000 Olympics. Still, though, it appeared s the world's most populous nation was holding a collective breath today. CNN's Lisa Rose Weaver is in Beijing, a city just about beside itself.</s>LISA ROSE WEAVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No amount of planning could have created sentiment like this. The news hit the political heart of China, Beijing's Tiananmen Square, and gripped it like wildfire. Thousands of people streamed into the streets and made their way to the square. Police lines could not contain their exuberance. Beijing lost its 2000 Olympic bid by two votes. There was a clear sense that this time the games belonged to them.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): After all, China is getting stronger and we have more influence in the world. By hosting the Olympic Games, more people will understand us.</s>WEAVER (on camera): The intensity of Beijing's victory celebration shows that getting the Games was about a lot more than hosting an international sporting event. For many average Chinese, the Games equate national pride. For China's leadership, international legitimacy and the conviction, perhaps, that a poor human rights record will not stop China from being a global player. (voice-over): President Jiang Zemin, Premier Zhu Rongji and other top leaders played to the crowd, reveling in the appeal of a new prize to polish old symbols of power. Elsewhere, the city celebrated an event that will likely show Beijing at its glittering best, a modern face striving to show that economic reform and conservative nationalism can lead to a place in the international spotlight -- on China's own terms. Lisa Rose Weaver, CNN, Beijing.
Exuberant Chinese Celebrate Beijing's Winning Bid