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BEIJING — China on Tuesday accused the US of violating the Olympic spirit by saying an American diplomatic boycott of February’s Beijing Winter Video games, amid an more and more bitter feud over the Biden administration’s resolution to not ship officers over human rights issues.
The US is making an attempt to intervene with the Beijing Winter Olympics “out of ideological prejudice and primarily based on lies and rumors,” International Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian advised reporters at a day by day briefing.
The boycott “severely violates the precept of political neutrality of sports activities established by the Olympic Constitution and runs counter to the Olympic motto ‘extra united,’” Zhao mentioned.
As he did the day gone by, Zhao vowed that China would reply with “resolute countermeasures” however provided no particulars.
“The US can pay a value for its practices. It’s possible you’ll keep tuned for follow-ups,” Zhao mentioned.
His feedback got here amid a barrage of Chinese language criticism of the announcement by the Biden administration on Monday.
White Home press secretary Jen Psaki advised reporters on Monday that the administration will absolutely help US athletes competing on the video games however gained’t dispatch US diplomats or officers to attend.
Psaki mentioned the US has a “basic dedication to selling human rights” and that the US “won’t be contributing to the fanfare of the video games.”
The diplomatic boycott comes because the US makes an attempt to stabilize turbulent relations with Beijing, even because it maintains a tricky strategy towards commerce and conflicts over China’s actions on Taiwan, Hong Kong, the South China Sea and the remedy of ethnic minorities, notably Muslim Uyghurs.
Beijing has counterattacked in opposition to US criticisms and punitive sanctions, denouncing them as interference in its inner affairs and slapping visa bans on American politicians it regards as anti-China.
Zhao referred to as on the US to “cease politicizing sports activities” and what he mentioned have been actions undermining the Beijing Winter Olympics, “in any other case it’ll undermine the dialogue and cooperation between the 2 international locations in a collection of vital areas and worldwide points.”
The Chinese language Embassy in Washington tweeted that politicians calling for a boycott are “doing so for their very own political pursuits and posturing.”
“The truth is, nobody would care about whether or not these individuals come or not, and it has no influence in any respect on the #Beijing2022 to be efficiently held,” the embassy mentioned.
China’s mission to the United Nations referred to as the boycott a “self-directed political farce.”
“The US simply needs to politicize sports activities, create divisions and provoke confrontation,” it mentioned.
Even the ruling Communist Occasion’s notoriously opaque Central Fee for Self-discipline Inspection issued a response within the type of a prolonged screed on its web site entitled “The Spirit of the Olympic Constitution Can’t be Tarnished.”
“Some Western anti-China politicians” have proven a “defensive Chilly Battle mentality geared toward politicizing sport,” the article mentioned, calling {that a} “clear violation of the Olympic spirit and a problem to all individuals who love the Olympic motion.”
It wasn’t clear what officers Washington might need despatched, and Zhao on Monday mentioned no invitation had been prolonged by China.
Different main international locations have but to say if they may comply with the US lead. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday mentioned Japan would make its personal resolution “from the attitude of nationwide pursuits, considering the importance of the Olympic Video games and the importance of Japan’s diplomacy. That is the fundamental angle of our nation.”
Japanese Chief Cupboard Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno mentioned it remained unclear what the diplomatic boycott means and {that a} resolution on officers attending could be made “at an applicable time.”
“In any case, Japan hopes that the Beijing Winter Video games might be held as a celebration of peace in step with the rules of the Olympic and Paralympic Video games,” Matsuno mentioned.
South Korean International Ministry spokesperson Choi Younger-sam mentioned the ministry had no touch upon a “diplomatic resolution made by the federal government of one other nation,” and has not acquired any request from the U.S. that it not ship officers.
South Korea hopes the Beijing Olympics will “contribute to peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia and the world and assist enhance relations between South and North Korea,” Choi mentioned.
New Zealand mentioned Tuesday it gained’t be attending the video games at a diplomatic degree, however that it made the choice earlier due largely to pandemic journey restrictions.
Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson mentioned New Zealand advised China in October about its plans to not ship authorities ministers.
“However we’ve made clear to China on quite a few events our issues about human rights points,” Robertson mentioned, including that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had raised these issues straight with Chinese language President Xi Jinping.
Australia, whose relations with China have grown more and more tense, has but to say whether or not it’ll ship dignitaries.
The dispatching of high-level delegations to every Olympics has lengthy been a practice among the many US and different main nations. Then-President George W. Bush attended the opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Summer time Video games. First girl Jill Biden led the American contingent to the Summer time Olympics in Tokyo this 12 months and second gentleman Doug Emhoff led a delegation to the Paralympic Video games.
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