Reuters, Berlin, December 29-The spokesperson said on Wednesday that the German Foreign Minister and the Minister of Sports will not participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics in February because Berlin has liaised with its European allies regarding a full diplomatic boycott.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson quoted Foreign Minister Annalena Balbok as saying that she is a sports fan, but she will never come to China to participate in the Olympic Games during that time.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs and Sports stated that Home Affairs Minister Nancy Faeser has personally decided not to participate in the Olympics, partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A government spokesperson said that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has not yet decided whether he will travel to China to participate in the event, adding that Berlin is still discussing the matter with its EU allies.
Japan said last week that it would not send a government delegation to the Olympics, a move that may deepen its tension with China.
This decision was made after a US-led diplomatic boycott out of concerns about China’s human rights issues, although Japan avoided explicitly labeling its actions as such.
At the same time, it is difficult for Europe to adopt a common method to boycott the Olympics. Lithuania was the first country in the world to declare a diplomatic boycott in early December.
The two countries were embroiled in a diplomatic war of words because of Vilnius’ decision to open a representative office in Taiwan instead of Chinese Taipei. This situation intensified when China stopped allowing imports of Lithuanian products.
On December 18, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Crowe confirmed to Parliament that the Federal Government will not send representatives to participate in the Olympic Games.
In France, the government sent complex signals to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, suggesting that they would send representatives, while the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that the “common position” among EU member states was beneficial.
In early December, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that “the Beijing Winter Olympics will actually be met with a diplomatic boycott” and added that there will be no high-level officials attending.
As the competition starts more than a month later, the possibility of reaching a consensus at the EU level seems to be getting smaller and smaller.
The most disturbing human rights violations include the plight of the Uyghur minority, which human rights groups claim to be collectively detained in Beijing in so-called “re-education camps.” Organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch reported on slave labor, forced sterilization, torture and genocide.
China denies all allegations and claims that these concentration camps are aimed at combating Islamic radicalism and separatism.
