Opinion | Beijing 2022: UK, US and Canadian politicians push boycott as Cold War 2.0 chess piece, but decision comes down to athletes
- Politicians from Western nations are kicking up chatter about boycotting Winter Olympics over China’s treatment of Uygur Muslims in Xinjiang
- Decision to attend Games next February is likely to come down to individual athletes as official boycotts look highly unlikely
The letter has bipartisan support, touching all five of the country’s political parties including Justin Trudeau’s ruling Liberal government. The ceremonial move comes on the heels of Conservatives in Canada’s House of Commons calling on the government to label China’s treatment of the mostly Muslim minority a genocide.
Two UK politicians, Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey and Labour MP Chris Bryant, who is also a member of the foreign affairs select committee, have called on British athletes to boycott the Games for the same reason.
One of former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo’s last moves was to release a report which declared the ongoing treatment a genocide, a stance that has been backed by his successor within Joe Biden’s administration.
Other nations have flirted with similar political tactics, including Australia, which has had multiple politicians float boycott chatter. There is also the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, which features politicians from Canada, Norway, Germany and the US, all aimed at keeping tabs on human rights violations, which also includes Hong Kong’s national security law.