China’s Xi Jinping pledges support for Tokyo Olympics as Japan extends coronavirus emergency

Name: China’s Winter Olympics 2022: Xi Jinping visits Games site amid Covid-19 cases and boycott call
Uploaded: 2021-05-08T01:51:37.000Z
Duration: 1 min 54 s
Description: China’s Winter Olympics 2022: Xi Jinping visits Games site amid Covid-19 cases and boycott call

The Chinese president also told IOC chief Thomas Bach he is confident of hosting the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing on schedule despite the pandemic

Covid-19 fears have led to mounting calls for the Tokyo event to be postponed or cancelled, while China is facing boycott threats over human rights issues

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A protester holds a placard during an anti-Olympics rally outside the Japan Olympic Museum in February. Photo: DPA

Kyodo

Published: 9:51am, 8 May 2021Updated: 10:20am, 10 May 2021

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday told International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach that his country will support the holding of this summer’s Tokyo Games, as the novel coronavirus outbreak has shown few signs of easing soon in Japan.

The official Xinhua news agency also quoted Xi as saying during a telephone conversation with Bach that China is confident in hosting the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics next year on schedule despite the pandemic.

Xi’s remarks came as calls are mounting both at home and abroad for the Tokyo Games to be postponed or cancelled amid the virus spread, while China has been facing Olympic boycotts by democratic nations condemning its alleged human rights violations.

In April, Japanese government sources said Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi back-pedalled on a previous pledge to cooperate in making the Beijing Olympics a success during a telephone call with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in the same month.

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China’s Winter Olympics 2022: Xi Jinping visits Games site amid Covid-19 cases and boycott call

The change in stance indicated that Japan, a close US ally, has started to fall into step with the administration of President Joe Biden, which has ramped up criticism of China’s alleged human rights abuses in its far-western Xinjiang region.