Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai reacted during a tennis match in Beijing, China on October 6, 2009. But back in China, Peng has been out of sight, prosecuted for crimes, harassed and silenced online for speaking about the harassment, violence and discrimination women face every day. Only one of a few activists and accusators. (AP photo / NgHan Guan)
Geneva (AP) — Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia have announced a diplomatic boycott for the Winter Olympics in Beijing, following the United States, and the chairman of the International Olympic Committee has done its best to remain neutral on Wednesday.
After taking over in 2013, Thomas Bach, who has led through a series of problematic Olympic preparations, by pointing out that countries allow their athletes and teams to compete in Beijing. I tried to rotate the diplomatic snab positively.
“We are committed to athletes,” Bach said at an online press conference. “We welcome their participation and their support by governments. The rest is politics.”
Bach also praised himself in a video call with tennis player Peng Shuai. Peng Shuai is a former Olympic athlete from China who has almost disappeared from public since he accused former Communist Party officials of sexually assaulting him.
The Beijing Olympics are scheduled to begin on February 4, the second Olympics to be held during a coronavirus pandemic. The Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo were held in July and August, a year later than originally planned.
Western allies that have announced a diplomatic boycott are acting against China because of long-standing concerns about China’s human rights records, including the treatment of Muslim minority Uighurs. Many call it genocide.
Personally influenced by the US-led complete boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics, four years after winning a gold medal in team fencing with West Germany, Bach has more diplomacy to damage the upcoming Winter Olympics. I rejected the prospect of a boycott.
“We will hear the same comments from us about all political decisions from any government,” Bach said. “Game integrity is about the integrity of sports competition.”
However, the situation surrounding Peng has led to suspicion that the IOC is colluding with China. Peng’s only known international contact was contact with IOC officials, including Bach, in a 30-minute video call, but female tennis players and officials were excluded.
“At any time, I can be suspicious of everything,” said Bach, who has met and called several times with Chinese leader Xi Jinping since Beijing was selected as the host in 2015.
“The most important human right is physical integrity, and this physical integrity we have secured during these calls will continue to call and support.”
The IOC does not provide video footage or call recordings, questioning whether Peng is free to talk and travel. She also briefly appeared at a children’s tennis event in Beijing.
Despite these calls, the Women’s Tennis Association said last week that it was withdrawing the tournament from China for fear of Peng’s safety.
Mr. Bach, who will meet Peng in Beijing in January, claimed that the IOC’s “quiet diplomatic” strategy has so far achieved “reasonably promising”.
Bach also said that a trusted person in the tennis world, such as Martina Navratilova, could join the call with Penn. But he said it was up to Peng to decide who would answer the phone.
“Why don’t you respect Peng Shuai with this,” Bach said. “And let her decide where her priorities are.”
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Other AP Winter Olympics: https: //apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Diplomatic boycott, Peng incident test before Beijing convention IOC | WGN Radio 720
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