UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres accepts invitation to the 2022 Winter Olympics, despite the diplomatic boycott of the game by several Western nations, in protest of the ongoing human rights violations of the Chinese administration in Xinjiang. I did.
“The Secretary-General was invited by the International Olympic Committee to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, and he accepted it,” spokesman Stephen Dujaric told reporters Thursday.
“That is, as you know, I think his two predecessors have participated in almost every Olympic Games since at least 2002,” Dujaric added.
It also announced the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics diplomatic boycott, citing the Chinese administration’s “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,” along with several other Western nations. Regardless.
White House spokesman Jen Psaki said Team USA players will continue to compete in the tournament but will not send an official delegation.
“US diplomatic or official representatives, facing the face of China, treat these games as business as usual. [People’s Republic of China] Severe human rights abuses and atrocities in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and we can’t do that, “Pusaki said at a daily press conference on December 6.
In response, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, Zhao Lijian, said China would take “resolute measures” against the United States without taking concrete measures for boycott efforts.
Australia joins the United States in a Boycott effort, citing human rights issues in China and the conflict with Beijing, especially the Foreign Interferometry Act for Foreign Investment, and the AUKUS Security Agreement between Australia’s UK and the United States over nuclear submarines. ..
“Australia does not retreat from a strong position that has risen for the benefit of Australia and is in line with that position. It is not surprising that Australian officials are not sent to these games,” Australia said. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. Said on December 8th.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the minister would not attend the match because of the “virtually diplomatic boycott” of the Beijing Winter Olympics, but claimed that the government did not support sports boycotts.
Lithuania, Canada and New Zealand also said New Zealand cited COVID-19 as the main reason and would not send officials to the game.
However, the king said Thursday that China was not worried about the diplomatic boycott, given that “a significant number” of foreign leaders and royal members had registered to participate in the game. He said China did not intend to invite Canada and Britain, adding that their absence would not affect the outcome of the game.
Lily Zhou contributed to this report.
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