(Beijing) An official Chinese newspaper has accused Washington of “inciting” athletes to “create disturbances” during the 2022 Beijing Olympics, in particular by paying them, an accusation firmly denied on Saturday by the American embassy.
Posted at 7:44 a.m.
In a context of “diplomatic boycott” of the Games by the United States in the name of the protection of the Uyghurs, the article in the English-language daily China Daily is based on “well-informed sources” who intend to denounce a “conspiracy”.
“Anti-Chinese forces” on American soil “encourage athletes” from several countries “to express their dissatisfaction with China, to adopt a passive attitude during competitions or even to refuse to participate” in the Games, the newspaper said.
In return, Washington will “offer them compensation”, denounce these sources who accuse the United States of wanting to “create disturbances during the Games in order to politicize the event”.
The American authorities have strongly denied these accusations.
“We have not coordinated and we are not coordinating any global campaign related to participation in the Olympics,” a spokesperson for the US Embassy in Beijing said in an email to AFP.
“American athletes have the right to express themselves freely, in accordance with the spirit and the charter of the Olympic Games, which include the promotion of human rights”, continued this spokesperson.
In the name of human rights violations in China, particularly against the Muslim Uyghur minority, the United States convinced some Western allies, including Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, to carry out a “diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Olympics.
These countries will not send any officials to Beijing to attend Friday’s opening ceremony. Their athletes, on the other hand, will participate well in competitions.
With this article from China DailyBeijing seeks to “divert the attention” of the public “from its scandalous record in terms of human rights”, further estimated the embassy of the United States.
“We expect (China) to ensure the safety and well-being of our athletes – and all athletes – participating in the Beijing Games and to respect their human rights and fundamental freedoms. »
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had already urged the United States on Thursday to “stop disrupting” the Beijing Olympics, during a phone call with his American counterpart Antony Blinken.