In February next year, China is scheduled to host the Winter Olympics in Beijing and the surrounding province. This is proving to be problematic for the governments of many nations, due to the growing global focus on the country’s continuing genocide, as Mike Pompeo has pointed out, against the Uighur people. Republicans in the Senate have already drafted a measure calling for the games to be moved to a different, less repressive country. Several European nations have similarly condemned China’s actions.
But how did our northern neighbors react? Canada is preparing to send its athletes to Beijing to compete, but their Olympic Committee warns them not to say anything “controversial” that could upset the Chinese Communist Party. (Free Beacon)
The Canadian Olympic Committee has said its athletes should avoid public criticism of China ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Games because of concerns that criticism could be pursued under the Communist Party’s national security laws, the Globe reported on Thursday. and Mail.
David Shoemaker, executive director of the Canadian Olympic Committee, said the committee intends to spend “a considerable amount of time” instructing its competitors on what “they might consider they will not comment on at least until after they have taken place.” Games. ”
“There were dissidents in Hong Kong who were taken and accused of saying things that were contrary to the Chinese government’s Communist Party policy,” Shoemaker told the newspaper. “So we’ll talk to our athletes about the implications of what I’m saying and the topics they choose to talk about.”
That may not be the case Fairly as bad as it looks at first glance, although it’s still not a very good message to convey. First, the policy does not come from the current Canadian government, but rather from their Olympic Committee. And it does not seem to be trying to provide some kind of cover to the Chinese government over their repressive actions. They are more concerned that their athletes could be arrested or detained when they get to the games if they are openly critical of genocide.
Would the Chinese actually arrest athletes from another nation at games and shut them down? Given their recent experience, I guess we can’t really get over them, but at least it would be unusual. In general, they feel free to abuse their own people as much as they want, but it would be a major escalation to take a Canadian, American or European citizen and throw them in a cell.
Of course, we probably need to pay attention to how hard we are dealing with Canada, when you consider that the Biden administration is not leading by example in this matter. On Wednesday, Jen Psaki told reporters that Biden currently has no plans to boycott the games or prevent American athletes from participating. When asked if Biden supported the Senate’s move to move the games, Psaki sent reporters to the US Olympic Committee.
“We are, of course, in close consultation with allies and partners at all levels to define our common concerns and establish a common approach, but there is no ongoing discussion about a change in our plans in the United States at this time. She said. said.
The White House and the State Department, repeatedly asked in recent days whether the Biden administration supported moving the Games, sent reporters to the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) for further comments.
At this time, we do not even know whether the Biden administration will remain with the genocide. Biden’s election to be our UN ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said during the Senate asking that the State Department “review” the appointment. It made it seem more of a technical or procedural issue, but the White House clearly leaves the door open to the possibility of Pompeo’s decision being reversed.
If so, we will have very few positions to criticize Canada for their rather lukewarm approach.