The Chinese government on April 7, 2021, condemned calls in the US to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics over human rights concerns. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the move to “politicise” sports will be “doomed to fail”. Beijing’s remarks came after the US State Department walked back remarks that Washington was discussing with allies a possible joint boycott of the 2022 Olympics. There have been growing calls from lawmakers and advocacy groups in the US to back away from the Winter Games over alleged human rights abuses against Uygurs and other Muslim minority groups in China’s Xinjiang region.
Video source: AFP
