Rights groups have pushed for a full-blown boycott of the
Games, accusing China of rights abuses against ethnic minorities. The U.S.
decision falls short of those calls but comes at an exceptionally turbulent
time for relations between the powerhouse nations and was met with a barrage of
criticism from China.
The U.S. is attempting to interfere with the Beijing Games
“out of ideological prejudice and based on lies and rumors,” Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters.
The boycott “seriously violates the principle of political
neutrality of sports established by the Olympic Charter and runs counter to the
Olympic motto ‘more united,’” Zhao said.
As he did the previous day, Zhao vowed that China would
respond with “resolute countermeasures” but offered no details.
“The U.S. will pay a price for its practices. You may stay
tuned for follow-ups,” Zhao said.
On Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told
reporters that the Biden administration will fully support U.S. athletes
competing at the Games but won’t dispatch diplomats or officials to attend.
Psaki said the U.S. has a “fundamental commitment to
promoting human rights” and that it “will not be contributing to the fanfare of
the Games.”
The diplomatic boycott comes as the U.S. attempts to thread
the needle between stabilizing difficult relations with Beijing and maintaining
a tough stance on trade and political conflicts. The U.S. has accused China of
human rights abuses against Muslim Uyghurs in northwest Xinjiang province,
suppressing democratic movements in Hong Kong, committing military aggression
against the self-ruled island of Taiwan and more.
Beijing has denounced U.S. criticisms and punitive sanctions
as interference in its internal affairs and slapped visa bans on American
politicians it regards as anti-China.
Zhao warned the U.S. to “stop politicizing sports” and cease
what he said were actions undermining the Beijing Winter Olympics, “otherwise
it will undermine the dialogue and cooperation between the two countries in a
series of important areas and international issues.”
The Chinese Embassy in Washington dismissed the move as
posturing in a tweet.
“In fact, no one would care about whether these people come
or not, and it has no impact whatsoever on the #Beijing2022 to be successfully
held,” the embassy said.
China’s mission to the United Nations called the boycott a
“self-directed political farce.”
Even the ruling Communist Party’s notoriously opaque Central
Commission for Discipline Inspection issued a response in the form of a lengthy
screed on its website entitled “The Spirit of the Olympic Charter Cannot be
Tarnished.”
“Some Western anti-China politicians” have shown a
“defensive Cold War mentality aimed at politicizing sport,” the article said,
calling that a “clear violation of the Olympic spirit and a challenge to all
people who love the Olympic movement.”
People on the streets of Beijing were overall dismissive of
the U.S. move.
“I don’t think it matters at all if they would come or not.
The Olympic Games are not about one country or a couple of countries,” said
coffee shop employee Deng Tao.
“Such remarks from someone we never invited are simply a
farce. And I don’t think it will have much impact on the holding of the Winter
Olympics,” Lu Xiaolei, who works in trade.
It wasn’t clear which officials the U.S. might have sent to
Beijing for the Games and Zhao said Monday that no invitation had been extended
by China.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, whose relations
with China have nosedived in recent years, said Wednesday his government would
join the U.S. in the diplomatic boycott.
New Zealand said Tuesday it won’t be attending the games at
a diplomatic level, but that it made the decision earlier due mostly to
pandemic travel restrictions.
The country told China in October about its plans not to
send government ministers, Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said.
“But we’ve made clear to China on numerous occasions our
concerns about human rights issues,” Robertson said.
The attitudes of other U.S. allies were less clear.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday that the
country would make its own decision “from the perspective of national
interests, taking into consideration the significance of the Olympic Games and
the significance of Japan’s diplomacy.”
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said a
decision on officials attending would be made “at an appropriate time.”
“In any case, Japan hopes that the Beijing Winter Games will
be held as a celebration of peace in line with the principles of the Olympic
and Paralympic Games,” Matsuno said.
South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam declined
to comment on the U.S. decision and said the ministry had not received any
request from its ally not to send officials.
South Korea hopes the Beijing Olympics will “contribute to
peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia and the world and help improve relations
between South and North Korea,” Choi said.
The dispatching of high-level delegations to each Olympics
has long been a tradition among the U.S. and other leading nations.
Then-President George W. Bush attended the opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympic
Summer Games.
First lady Jill Biden led the American contingent to the
Summer Olympics in Tokyo this year and second gentleman Doug Emhoff led a
delegation to the Paralympic Games. -AP
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