The Winter Olympics will take place in China from February 4th to 20th, 2022.
(Photo: dpa)
Washington, Beijing After the US announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in China, there have been further international reactions to the decision.
New Zealand does not want to send diplomatic representatives to Beijing in February either. As Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said on Tuesday, the ongoing pandemic was one of the main reasons for the decision: “We have made it clear to China on numerous occasions that we are concerned about human rights issues – the Prime Minister recently discussed this with President Xi”, said Robertson, according to state television broadcaster TVNZ.
“China knows very well our position on human rights, but we had already decided not to participate,” said New Zealand’s deputy prime minister, adding that China was informed of the decision back in October.
Both the Australian and Japanese governments have announced that they will continue to deliberate on the issue of sending a diplomatic representative. Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday that his country would take a number of factors into account when making the decision. These included the purpose of the Olympics, the diplomatic situation and Japan’s own national interests, Kishida said.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
The Canadian Foreign Ministry said Canada was “deeply concerned” by reports of human rights violations in China. “We have been informed of the US decision and will continue to discuss this matter with our partners and allies,” the department said.
The only head of state to have accepted China’s invitation to the Games is Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The US wants to boycott the Winter Olympics
The US announced on Monday that it would diplomatically boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in China. The reason is the “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang as well as other human rights violations,” said government spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
US athletes are not affected, however. The Chinese embassy in Washington called the boycott “just a political manipulation”. It will not have any effect on the successful implementation of the games.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Twitter: “The presence of government representatives and diplomats is a purely political decision of the respective government, which the IOC fully respects in its political neutrality.”
The Winter Olympics will take place in China from February 4th to 20th, 2022. The authoritarian-ruled country is accused of human rights violations, especially against minorities such as the Muslim Uyghurs. Human rights groups cite the Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong autonomous regions as examples of Chinese reprisals.
Again and again, boycott calls for the winter games there are loud. There is great political tension between the USA and China because of the human rights situation, but also because of various other controversial issues.
A spokesman for the Chinese State Department said before the US announcement that his country would take “decisive countermeasures” in the event of a diplomatic boycott. He didn’t give any details.
US MPs have long called for a diplomatic boycott of the Games. China has repeatedly denied allegations by human rights defenders of genocide in the predominantly Muslim Uyghur province of Xinjiang.
More: The Olympic Winter Games are threatening to turn into a debacle for Beijing.