The U.S. denies the allegations and urges China to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of athletes.
Great power politics the waves are getting bigger and bigger as the Beijing Winter Olympics approach. Chinese state media said on Saturday that the United States would pay its athletes to disrupt the Olympics starting next week.
Newspaper China Daily said the data came from reliable sources who know the matter closely. According to Chinese allegations, the U.S. federal government is enticing its country’s athletes to passively play their matches or refuse to participate in competitions. In addition, those in power in Washington would urge athletes to show contempt for China, the host country of the Winter Olympics.
The U.S. Embassy in Beijing recently denied the allegations.
“U.S. athletes are free to express their opinions, but in the spirit of the Olympics,” an embassy spokesman emailed AFP.
The Beijing Olympics are becoming the most politically colored of the times. Leaders in several Western countries have announced a boycott of the Games in protest of China’s human rights policy. The treatment of the Uighurs in particular has been criticized by the West, and the tense situation in Hong Kong has also raised concerns.
However, the boycott does not apply to athletes. Several athletes have already traveled to Beijing to prepare for the opening ceremony on Friday.
“We expect the People’s Republic of China to ensure the safety and well-being of our athletes and all athletes while they are in China. The host country must respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of athletes, ”said a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in China.
Beijing the winter races are colored not only by political tensions but also by a coronavirus pandemic. One of the leaders in German snowboarding Michael Hölz estimates that the organizers of the Olympics are tampering with coronavirus tests to get the toughest athletes out of competitions. Hölz did not provide any evidence to substantiate its claims.
“Our corona testing is in line with the WHO guidelines,” he said Huang Chena representative of the organizers’ testing organization on Saturday.
Medical Representative of the Kok of the International Olympic Committee Brian McCloskey emphasized that the tests were appropriate.
Read more: The Beijing Olympics were supposed to be a glorious showcase for China – but in seven years everything has changed
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