After the Biden administration announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Games for human rights concerns, China accused the US of breaking the Olympic spirit on Tuesday.
Human rights organizations have called for a complete boycott of the Games, accusing China of human rights violations against ethnic minorities. The United States’ decision falls short of those demands, but it comes at a particularly difficult period for ties between the two superpowers, and it has been received with a storm of criticism from China.
The US is aiming to sabotage the Beijing Olympics “out of ideological prejudice and based on lies and rumors,” according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.
The boycott “clearly breaches the Olympic Charter’s concept of political neutrality of sports and goes opposite to the Olympic motto’more unified,'” Zhao added.
Zhao promised China will retaliate with “resolute countermeasures,” as he had the day before, but gave no details.
“The United States will pay a price for its actions.” Keep an eye out for follow-ups,” Zhao advised.
Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, told reporters on Monday that the Biden administration will fully support American athletes competing in the Games but will not send ambassadors or officials.
According to Psaki, the United States has a “fundamental commitment to advancing human rights” and “will not be adding to the Games’ fanfare.”
The diplomatic boycott comes as the US tries to strike a balance between mending strained ties with Beijing and maintaining a firm stance on economic and political disputes. China has been accused by the United States of abusing Muslim Uyghurs in northwest Xinjiang province, suppressing democratic movements in Hong Kong, and waging military aggression against Taiwan, among other things.
Beijing has slammed US criticisms and punitive measures as interference in its domestic affairs, and has imposed travel bans on anti-China American politicians.
“Stop politicizing sports” and “stop undermining the Beijing Winter Olympics,” Zhao said, “or else it would damage the conversation and cooperation between the two countries in a range of critical areas and international concerns.”
In a tweet, the Chinese Embassy in Washington described the move as mere posturing.
“In truth, it makes no difference whether these people attend or not, and it has no bearing on the success of the #Beijing2022,” the embassy added.
The boycott, according to China’s UN envoy, is a “self-directed political farce.”
Even the Communist Party’s famously opaque Central Commission for Discipline Inspection responded with a lengthy rant on its website titled “The Olympic Charter Cannot be Tarnished.”
According to the essay, “some Western anti-China politicians” have demonstrated a “defensive Cold War attitude aimed at politicizing sport,” which is a “clear violation of the Olympic spirit” and a “challenge to all individuals who respect the Olympic movement.”
On the streets of Beijing, people were largely scornful of the US move.
“I don’t think it makes a difference whether they come or not. “The Olympic Games aren’t about one country or a few countries,” said Deng Tao, a coffee shop employee.
“Such comments from someone we didn’t invite are a farce.” And I don’t think it will have much of an impact on the Winter Olympics,” says Lu Xiaolei, a trader.
It was unclear which US officials might have traveled to Beijing for the Games, and Zhao confirmed on Monday that China had not offered an invitation.
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose country’s relations with China have deteriorated in recent years, announced on Wednesday that his country would join the diplomatic boycott alongside the United States.
New Zealand announced on Tuesday that it will not be attending the games on a diplomatic level, but that it had already made the decision because to pandemic travel restrictions.
According to Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, the UK informed China in October that it would not be sending government ministers.
“However, we’ve made our concerns about human rights issues known to China on multiple times,” Robertson said.
Other US allies’ sentiments were more ambiguous.
Fumio Kishida, Japan’s prime minister, said on Tuesday that the country would make its own decision “based on national interests, taking into account the significance of the Olympic Games and Japan’s diplomacy.”
Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, said a decision on officials’ attendance would be taken “at the proper moment.”
“In any event,” Matsuno stated, “Japan hopes that the Beijing Winter Games would be staged as a celebration of peace in accordance with the Olympic and Paralympic Games principles.”
Choi Young-sam, a spokesperson for the South Korean Foreign Ministry, declined to comment on the US decision, saying the ministry had not received any requests from its ally not to send officials.
Choi expressed South Korea’s hope that the Beijing Olympics will “contribute to peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia and around the world, as well as help strengthen relations between the two Koreas.”
The United States and other prominent nations have a long tradition of sending high-level delegations to each Olympic Games. The opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Summer Games was attended by then-President George W. Bush. Jill Biden, the first lady, led the American delegation to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo this year, and Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman, led a mission to the Paralympic Games.
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