Beijing Olympic Games

January 11, 2018

Tokyo- This file photo taken on August 8, 2008 shows the Olympic flame burning during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the National Stadium in the Chinese capital.

When the cauldron ignites in Pyeongchang on Tuesday, February 9, 2018 it will open a sequence of three Olympic Games in Asia over the next four years -- highlighting the region's growing clout, and also the declining interest among Western powers in holding the multi-billion dollar events.

South Korea (Seoul 1988), Japan (Tokyo 1964, Sapporo 1972 and Nagano 1998) and China (Beijing 2008) have all hosted Olympics before, but clearly the appetite remains strong. Jiji Press