The diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, initiated by US President Joe Biden's administration, proved to be a step of "limited success". Although backed by representatives of America's two major parties and many human rights groups, as well as many of Washington's key allies, including the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, the measure did not win widespread approval, according to The Hill.
So France has decided to send its diplomats to the Chinese capital, saying it opposes the use of sporting events to raise concerns about human rights issues. South Korea is also not participating in the boycott - in Seoul they say they can not do so because they are actively cooperating with China on the issue of North Korea, recalls the Hill columnist. Finally, the EU has not yet made a final decision on whether to join the boycott, as the bloc's member states hold different views in the debate, the author notes.
According to the journalist, the German Foreign Minister has repeatedly called on Europeans to show unity on the issue of the Olympics and to take a common position, while the Italian authorities, which will host the next Winter Olympics in 2026, do not plan to join the boycott. , a source in the country's government told news agencies in early December. For its part, Lithuania will not send its diplomats to the upcoming Games to protest against the "economic coercion campaign" launched by China in response to Vilnius' decision to take relations with Taiwan to a new level, the author writes.
Representatives of the Norwegian government, which is traditionally one of the "heavy categories" in the medal standings at the Winter Games, will also accompany the athletes in Beijing - although they take all precautions in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, the Foreign Ministry told The Hill On the side. At the same time, according to some reports, Japanese diplomats will miss the Beijing Games, while New Zealand authorities say they will leave their diplomatic staff at home because of the coronavirus, the newspaper said.
A senior Biden administration official told The Hill that the US president's team would not "run a global campaign with partners, but would consult with allies and warn them in advance of our decision." "We always expect that each of them will make a decision to which he has an exclusive right," the publication quoted the official as saying.
According to Mary Gallagher, director of the International Institute at the University of Michigan, the lack of unity among US partners could be detrimental to China. "I think the main problem with these types of boycotts is that they often give Beijing a clear idea of where the dividing lines between US allies and other Western democracies are," she told The Hill. "They are, so to speak, a focus on China, where we have disagreements and who is not ready to side with the United States when it takes such steps."
According to The Hill, human rights groups continue to call for a full boycott of the Beijing Olympics, but have so far focused on working with athletes and sports organizations to educate them about communities in and under the control of China that suffer from persecution. side of the Chinese authorities.
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