The Olympics is the biggest international sporting event for athletes and spectators, and no one would care if politicians calling for a diplomatic boycott attend the Beijing Games or not, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday
BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th December, 2021) The Olympics is the biggest international sporting event for athletes and spectators, and no one would care if politicians calling for a diplomatic boycott attend the Beijing Games or not, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that Canberra will join the United States in a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Games in China. The move will not affect athletes' participation. New Zealand also said it will not be sending diplomatic representatives to the event, but cited the pandemic as the reason behind the decision.
"As we stated on various occasions, it is athletes, instead of politicians clamoring for 'boycott' out of selfish political gains, that should be in the spotlight. In fact, no one would care whether these people come or not, and it has no impact whatsoever on the Olympics to be successfully held by Beijing," Zhao told a briefing.
He once again urged countries to stop politicizing sports and "to practice the Olympic spirit of 'togetherness'."
Beijing has consistently criticized the US and its allies for the calls for a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics, saying that politicians are doing so "for their own political interests and posturing" in violation of the principle of neutrality stipulated by the Olympic Charter.
The 2022 Beijing Winter Games will be held from February 4 - 20.
