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China says Britain is trying to smear Beijing Olympics
"The Chinese government has not invited government ministers or officials from the UK to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics," a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in London said.
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In this file photo taken on December 01, 2021, people walk past the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics logo at the Shougang Park in Beijing. Canada will not send officials to the Beijing Olympics in February, Trudeau announced on December 8, 2021, joining the US and other allies' diplomatic boycott of the Games. (AFP/Noel Celis)
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span class="highlight" data-qa-component="highlight-text">China on Wednesday accused Britain of trying to smear the winter Olympics in Beijing in a blatant contravention of the Olympic spirit after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there were no plans for British ministers to attend.
"The Chinese government has not invited government ministers or officials from the UK to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics," a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in London said.
"The Beijing Winter Olympics is a gathering of Olympic athletes and winter sports lovers across the world, not a tool of political manipulation for any country," the spokesman said. "Making an issue out of the presence of government officials at the Beijing Winter Olympics is in essence a political smearing campaign."
Earlier on Tuesday, China accused the United States of betraying Olympic principles and said Washington would "pay a price" for its diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Games in Beijing even as a top International Olympic Committee official voiced respect for the US decision.
The White House announced on Monday that US government officials will boycott the Winter Olympics over China's human rights "atrocities," though the action allows American athletes to travel to Beijing to compete.
Many key US allies have hesitated follow the US move, but on Wednesday, Australia said it would join the diplomatic boycott.
President Joe Biden's administration cited what the United States calls genocide against minority Muslims in China's far western region of Xinjiang. China denies all rights abuses.
In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing that his country opposes the US diplomatic boycott and promised "resolute countermeasures" in response.
"The United States will pay a price for its mistaken acts," he said, without giving details. "Let's all wait and see."
The IOC, the governing body of the worldwide Olympic movement, held executive board meetings on Tuesday at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, ahead of the Winter Games scheduled for Feb. 4-20 in Beijing.
"We always ask for as much respect as possible and least possible interference from the political world," said Juan Antonio Samaranch, the IOC's coordination commission chief for the Beijing Olympics. "We have to be reciprocal. We respect the political decisions taken by political bodies."
The Winter Games are due to begin about six months after the conclusion of the Summer Games in Tokyo, which were delayed a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We are extremely proud, happy and hopeful that all athletes of the world will live in peace in 59 days," Samaranch said, referring to the scheduled start of the Winter Games.
