In a letter to China, North Korea said it would not participate in the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics because of "hostile forces" and the risks of Covid-19, and accused the United States of trying to prevent the Games from succeeding, state media reported. communist state, quoted by Reuters.
It is unclear whether the letter from the Olympic Committee and the North Korean Ministry of Sports applies only to its athletes - who are not eligible to compete after North Korea was removed from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by the end of 2022, after did not send a team to the Tokyo Olympics last year, citing fears of Covid-19.
"The United States and its vassal forces are becoming increasingly open in their actions against China to prevent the successful opening of the Olympic Games," the North Korean letter said, calling the actions "an insult to the spirit of the International Olympic Charter and a" gross an act of attempt to discredit China's international image. "
China has been North Korea's only major ally since the two countries signed a treaty in 1961, and international sanctions imposed on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs have made it more dependent than ever on Beijing for trade and other support.
"We cannot participate in the Olympic Games due to the actions of hostile forces and the global pandemic, but we would fully support the Chinese comrades in all their work to hold a magnificent and wonderful Olympic festival," the letter said, according to KCNA.
No comments:
Post a Comment