China exploded in celebrations last Friday night when the International Olympic Committee awarded Beijing the right to host the 2008 Games. The rest of the world's reaction was more reserved. While millions of Chinese rejoiced, human rights advocates voiced concern that the Games would be used to put an international stamp of approval on a repressive regime. The IOC is gambling that openness will encourage China's political evolution. While we applaud China's success and look forward to a successful Games, we, along with the rest of the world, will be watching to see if China honors its promises to host Games that live up to and honor the Olympic spirit.

Although Beijing was the favorite in this year's competition -- other finalists included Osaka, Paris, Toronto and Istanbul -- the win in the second round of balloting was still a surprise. Most observers expected the vote to be closer and to take longer. Until the last minute, supporters of Toronto and Paris were hoping for an upset. They anticipated a repeat of Beijing's disappointing loss to Sydney in 1993, when human rights concerns topped the IOC's calculations.

Not this time. The subject of human rights did not even come up during public questioning of the bid committees on Friday, before the vote. The key selection criteria do not include such issues, but IOC officials concede that the topic was raised in private discussions among IOC members. The IOC is gambling that awarding Beijing the bid is the best way to protect human rights in China. IOC Director General Francois Carrard explained after the vote, "Human rights . . . can be approached in two ways -- we close the door, we say no and we hope things evolve. (Or we) bet on openness, bet on the upcoming seven years." It is not an unreasonable position: The same logic drives policy in Tokyo, Washington and other democratically elected governments.

That did not shield the decision from criticism. Tibet's government-in-exile said the vote gave an "international stamp of approval" to China's human rights violations and declared that the IOC will now have to take responsibility for the suffering that "will certainly be unleashed" by the Chinese government, which "will assume it has received international permission for its horrendous repression." Human Rights Watch said the IOC would be considered an accomplice if China commits human rights abuses related to the Games.

The Chinese Olympic Committee conceded that the country's record was not pristine, but argued that the Games will force China to move toward world standards. In the days before the final vote, China promised complete freedom of the press to media covering the Games. There will be openings in other areas as well: The Olympics are a massive undertaking. Those reforms, once granted, will be almost impossible to rescind.

Beijing faces other, more prosaic, challenges as it prepares for the Games. Chief among them is the need to get the city ready. Some parts of the Olympic site, and some of the venues, are already developed. But much has yet to be built. China will spend at least $20 billion between now and 2008, or about one-half of Beijing's annual economic output, on a program that will transform the city

Another problem for Beijing concerns the city's environment. It is a dirty, dusty city, hot and humid in the summer, and the air is incredibly polluted. Not surprisingly, a key element of the Beijing bid was its environmental plans. The city will spend over $12 billion on 20 major projects "designed to lift the city's environmental profile far above international standards." That legacy will long surpass the Games.

To cut vehicle exhaust emissions by 60 percent, city authorities will convert 20,000 buses that use diesel into natural gas-powered vehicles. Coal-burning industrial facilities will be moved. The subway will be almost double in length and be able to carry 2.6 million people a day.

The scale of the project will invite problems of its own, not least of which is keeping on schedule. The economy is already weakened by a lack of transparency; how much more corruption will be created by these Games, and will there be a human price to pay for shoddy workmanship?

These are all important questions, but it is important to stress that they are not unique to China. Now, it is a time to celebrate. Beijing deserves congratulations. In a true example of the Olympic spirit, it recovered from its stunning loss in the competition to host the 2000 Games, learned from its mistakes and worked even harder to succeed in its next try. Congratulations must also go to the other four finalists, who accepted their loss with grace and good sportsmanship -- another testimony to the Olympic ideals. It is a fine beginning to the 2008 Games.