[The Epoch Times, January 29, 2022](Comprehensive report by The Epoch Times reporter Zhang Ting) The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the official media accuseAmericaPlan to interfere and “sabotage”Beijing Winter Olympics, by bribing foreign athletes to create trouble during the Winter Olympics. The U.S. embassy in China responded strongly that Beijing’s move was aimed at diverting public attention from its harsh human rights.
The accusations by the Chinese Communist Party came a week before the Beijing Olympics. The English-language edition of China Daily, run by the Central Propaganda Department, quoted unnamed sources as saying late Friday (January 28):AmericaThe plan “incites athletes from all over the world to express their dissatisfaction with China, be negative in competitions, and even refuse to participate”.
In return, Washington will provide substantial compensation and “mobilize global resources” to help protect the reputations of athletes who choose to treat competition negatively, the report said.
The report provided no further evidence for its allegations.
When China’s foreign ministry was asked if it believed the China Daily allegations were valid, a foreign ministry spokesman told Archyde.com on Saturday that the report “exposed some Americans for politicizing, sabotaging and disrupting sports.Beijing Winter Olympicstrue intentions”.
The spokesman also said he strongly condemned attempts by some Americans to “buy” athletes and “create trouble” during the Olympics.
In response to the latest Chinese allegations, a spokesman for the U.S. embassy in Beijing told Archyde.com by email on Saturday: “American athletes have the right to express themselves freely in accordance with the spirit and bylaws of the Olympic Games, which includes advancing human rights. .”
The spokesman added that China “will continue to try to mislead the public about our decisions in order to divert attention from its abysmal human rights record.”
The United States took the lead in announcing a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics in December 2021. Allies such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada followed suit and announced a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics to show their dissatisfaction with the CCP’s poor human rights record.
The White House said at the time that the Biden administration would not send any diplomats or official representatives to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in light of China’s ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang. The US government is sending a “clear message” to the outside world that human rights abuses in China can no longer be “business as usual”.
Despite the U.S. announcement of a diplomatic boycott, the U.S. does not restrict athletes from traveling to Beijing to compete in the Winter Olympics.
The CCP has rejected international allegations of human rights abuses and has repeatedly criticized the politicization of the Olympics.
A U.S. embassy spokesman on Saturday reiterated its previous position that Washington is not globally coordinating the campaign to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics, in response to China’s accusations that the U.S. sabotaged the Olympics.
“Neither was nor is we coordinating a global movement to participate in the Olympics,” the U.S. embassy said.
China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to Archyde.com’ request for comment.
Responsible editor: Lin Yan