As of: December 8th, 2021 9:26 am
After the US and Australia announced a diplomatic boycott of the Olympic Games in Beijing, voices increased that Germany should join. The traffic light government reacts evasively.
After the diplomatic boycott of the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing announced by the USA, a debate about a comparable step has flared up in Germany, possibly even at the EU level. In the opinion of CDU foreign politician Johann Wadephul, European politics should join the USA. “The diplomatic boycott is exactly the right answer to the ongoing human rights violations in China,” said Wadephul to the editorial network Germany. “The free world must not remain silent. Europe should quickly follow the US example,” he said.
The Young Liberals (Julis) called on the future federal government to join the US with a diplomatic boycott of the Olympic Games. The Chinese Communist Party is often responsible for serious violations of human rights, said Federal Chairwoman Franziska Brandmann of the dpa news agency. She made particular reference to the situation in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region.
“The members of the Uyghur ethnic group are prevented from practicing their religion there, millions of times locked up in detention camps under unworthy conditions and in some cases even forcibly sterilized,” said the chairman of the FDP youth organization. “We Young Liberals sharply condemn this blatant disregard for human dignity.”
EU politician calls for “complete boycott”
The FDP MEP Nicola Beer called for a complete boycott by the member states of the EU. The move by the USA came late and was “the least” that could be expected from the West, the Vice President of the EU Parliament told the newspapers of the Funke media group. “However, the EU should not just stay in the slipstream of the US, but should stand on its back legs for the observance of human rights and speak out in favor of a complete boycott of the Winter Games,” said Beer. The winter games in China are “a wrong stage in the wrong place”.
The Greens’ foreign policy maker, Omid Nouripour, had previously spoken out in favor of such a signal from Germany. “What the Americans say that no members of the government take part, I think is the right approach. I hope that Germany will join in,” Nouripour, Greens foreign affairs spokesman and candidate for party leadership, said RBB. Athletes who have worked towards a goal all their lives cannot be arrested for politics. “That is why it is necessary that the games take place and that people go there. But with the massive human rights violations that we are experiencing there in China, it is necessary that a clear signal is given.”
Traffic light government leaves decision open
The future traffic light government initially left open whether Germany would join the diplomatic boycott of the Olympic Winter Games in China. Chancellor-designate Olaf Scholz first announced close coordination with the partner countries and made a fundamental plea for a willingness to enter into dialogue in foreign policy. “In a world that has to work together, it is also about using the signals of cooperation,” said Scholz. The German government will “discuss dealings with China very carefully with us, among us and with partners in Europe and the world”.
Many countries that Germany has to do with have “forms of government that are completely different from what we think is right,” said Scholz. The new federal government must “manage to know about the differences and still get along well in the world,” said Scholz. This is a “wise understanding of politics”.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will not travel to the Winter Olympics. “These plans didn’t exist until the US announced their decision,” said a spokeswoman for the Sports show.
“It must be possible to express yourself critically”
The athletes’ representatives in Germany spoke out clearly against a sporting boycott of the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, but at the same time warned that athletes could criticize China. “Those who want to express themselves critically – and there is a high level of awareness within the athletes for the problematic situation in China – must be able to express themselves critically,” said Maximilian Klein, responsible for international sports policy at the athletes’ association, the Sports show.
Should athletes speak out on issues such as human rights violations in China, “they must be protected there too. Their freedom of speech and expression must be protected. And we have our doubts again whether this is possible to the extent that it is in China.” is, “said Klein. “We would like to see clear safety precautions in place so that those who want to comment can do so too.”
Olympic boycott of the USA and Australia
The US had previously announced a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in China. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said President Joe Biden’s administration would not send diplomatic or official representatives to Beijing. Far-reaching human rights violations were cited as the reason. US athletes are allowed to take part in the games.
Australia would join the US boycott, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced. He cited a number of misunderstandings between Canberra and Beijing as the reason, including China’s criticism of Australia’s decision to purchase nuclear-powered submarines. His government again denounced “human rights violations in Xinjiang and other issues”, but the Chinese government has shown no willingness to talk. However, Australian athletes should also take part in the Beijing Games, said Morrison.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it respected the announcement of a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Games. “The presence of government officials and diplomats is a purely political decision for any government that fully respects the IOC in its political neutrality,” said an IOC spokesman for the AFP news agency.
USA will “pay the price for its wrongdoing”
China sharply condemned the diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics. Washington will have to pay for it, said a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The move is a violation of “political neutrality in sport”, the US would “pay the price for its misconduct”. Trying to obstruct the games “out of ideological prejudice based on lies and rumors will only expose their sinister intentions,” he said.
Russia also criticized the announced boycott. “From our point of view, the Olympic Games should be free of politics,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. However, it is positive that the US athletes are not affected by Washington’s decision. Russia is in favor of keeping politics out of Olympic affairs, said Peskov, according to the Russian agency Interfax. Head of state Vladimir Putin wants to fly to China in February.