In February, China is scheduled to host the Winter Olympics in Beijing and the neighboring province. This is proving problematic for the governments of many nations because of the growing global focus on genocide underway in the country, as designated by Mike Pompeo, against the Uighur people. Senate Republicans have already drafted a measure calling for games to be moved to a different, less repressive country. Several European countries similarly condemned China’s actions.
But how did our northern neighbors react? Canada is preparing to send its athletes to Beijing to compete, but its Olympic Committee warns them in advance not to say anything “controversial” that could upset the Chinese Communist Party. (Free Beacon)
The Canadian Olympic Committee said its athletes should avoid publicly criticizing China before the 2022 winter games in Beijing, due to concerns that critics could be prosecuted under the Communist Party’s national security laws, reported the Globe and Mail on Thursday.
David Shoemaker, executive director of the Canadian Olympic Committee, said the committee plans to spend “a considerable amount of time” instructing its competitors on what “they may consider not commenting on, perhaps, at least until after the Games. “
“There were dissidents in Hong Kong who were arrested and accused of saying things that were contrary to the policies of the Chinese government’s Communist Party,” Shoemaker told the newspaper. “So, let’s talk to our athletes about the implications of what they say and the topics they choose to talk about.”
This may not be quite as bad as it looks at first, although it’s still not a very good message to send. First, the policy does not come from the real Canadian government, but from its Olympic Committee. And it does not appear that they are trying to offer any coverage to the Chinese government over their repressive actions. They are more concerned that their athletes will be arrested or detained when they arrive for the games if they are openly critical of the genocide.
Would the Chinese really arrest athletes from another nation at games and lock them up? Given their recent history, I suppose we can’t really put anything beyond them, but it would be unusual, to say the least. They generally feel free to abuse their own people as much as they want, but it would be a big climb to take a Canadian, American or European citizen and throw him in a cell.
Of course, we probably need to be careful how hard we are with Canada, when you consider that the Biden government is not exactly setting an example on this issue. On Wednesday, Jen Psaki told reporters that Biden currently has no plans to boycott the games or prevent American athletes from participating. When asked whether Biden supported the Senate’s move to transfer the games, Psaki referred reporters to the United States Olympic Committee.
“We consulted, of course, closely with allies and partners at all levels to define our common concerns and establish a shared approach, but there is no ongoing discussion about a change in our plans in the United States at this time,” she said.
The White House and the State Department, repeatedly asked in recent days whether the Biden government supported the change of the Games, referred reporters to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) for further comment.
At this point, we don’t even know if the Biden government is going to stick with the genocide designation. Biden’s choice to be our UN Ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said during questioning the Senate that the State Department is “reviewing” the designation. It made it sound more like a technical or procedural issue, but the White House is clearly leaving the door open for the possibility that Pompeo’s decision will be rejected.
If that is the case, we will not have much power to criticize Canada for its somewhat lukewarm approach.