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BEIJING, CHINA - A HAUL of Olympic gold by China and other Asian nations shows growing strength in and out of the sports arena, and Western powers should be ready for more such challenges, an official Chinese newspaper said on Thursday.
Six days into the Beijing Games, China sits on top of the gold medal table, with victories in gymnastics, diving, weightlifting and shooting giving it 17 to the second-placed United States' 10 by the end of Wednesday.
Even with the US and other big sports powers likely to beat China in the big track and field and swimming races to come, the Chinese-language People's Daily said Asian success so far was a sign of rising strength.
'The growing redirection of Olympic gold medals is because the old disparities between competitive sports levels due to historical and economic causes is being constantly overturned', said a commentary in the overseas edition of the ruling Communist Party's official paper.
'This also means the traditional sporting powers face stronger and stronger challengers'.
Chinese officials have often publicly downplayed their country's chances of beating the United States in the overall medal tally, and the front-page commentary reflected that modesty - praising overall Asian success, rather than China's dominance.
But the commentary exuded confidence that the country's economic rise would bring it more sports glory. This year, China is likely to overtake Germany as the world's third biggest economy, behind Japan and the United States.
'Perusing the medals tally, ...people can take joy in seeing that on the grand stage of the Olympic Games, the Asian tempest blows stronger and stronger', it said.
'Sports may be just sports - one aspect of many in society - but this change reflects the state of development in the current world and is no freak'. -- REUTERS
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