After the White House announced that it would refuse to send any officials to the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022 in what has been described as a “diplomatic boycott” event, it must have been disappointed that only few countries such as Australia, Canada, Lithuania and the United Kingdom follow its direction, while reports noted these “diplomats” were not invited to attend anyway.
None of this changes the reality. The “boycott” is a cheap, worthless and risk-free public relations stunt by the US in the vain attempt to try and humiliate China. And the whole world now realizes how the White House manipulates sports with politics.
The US decision would still allow sponsors and athletes to participate, making it only symbolic in practice, as opposed to the full boycott pursued against the Soviet Union in 1980. As it comes with absolutely no personal costs or sacrifice whatsoever, it ultimately serves to scorn the idea of such countries supposedly taking a “stand”. It means nothing, and why after all does China’s success or vindication depend on their exclusive approval?
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The US mindset in advocating a boycott of the Winter Olympics is illustrative of how the country believes it upholds moral and political supremacy over China, and treats it as a fundamental unequal. In believing that the event is contingent upon their political approval, they push the longstanding assumption that China’s political system and ideology is only “legitimate” if they will it to be so, and the country in turn must exist within the terms and conditions which they have set for it. As it were in the colonial era, China must be “changed” in order to meet their image, and if it does not it must be condemned and subjugated. The west at large is stating China is subject to “their approval”.
This mentality feeds into how Washington selectively and hypocritically weaponizes the issue of human rights to a wider audience in order to attempt to contain the rise of China and diminish its global standing. The Xinjiang issue for one, is not motivated by “genuine concern” or true moral intent, but more so for how it can be used as a tool to manufacture consent for specific policies and sanctions which advance US agenda against China accordingly. This has included attacking strategically important Chinese technology companies, advancing protectionist goals on goods such as solar panels, or forcing allies to toe the US line through the “obligation” of human rights.
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As a result, over the past few weeks there has been a coordinated campaign across the Aussie, US and British media releasing various “studies” or “reports” aiming to cast China in a negative light in the view to building up to this boycott announcement, and to push other countries to do so the same. They believe that by not showing their political “support” they are serving to score points, isolate and humiliate China.
This could mean that across the next few months, we can expect little more than a glorified “shouting match” from the US and its supporters with the intended goal of ensuring that China is not “allowed” to gain any plaudits, prestige or credit for the event, aiming to “cast a shadow over it”.
Ultimately, however, China should be unphased by this and have little to fear, and should move forwards with full embracement and promotion of the event regardless. This rhetorical game only serves to express their anxieties and insecurity over a changing world and based on their assumptions of supremacy, their inability to come to terms with a rising China that could potentially be more successful than they are.
China might ask, with all what is achieved so far and will yet achieve, why are the country’s fortunes contingent on explicit US approval? Because these countries are not willing to take serious steps anyway, why does it truly matter? And who else care for such stunts of these politicians? They may soon have to face a reality: it would be they themselves that stand isolated in the multilateral global community.
There is a whole world out there, and China’s standing, achievements and self-esteem do not hinge upon the inflated egos of politicians in a small grouping of countries who are willing to cling on to their long-held privileges of dominance. Cheers of athletes including those from Australia, Canada, the US and the UK, as well as other heavyweights, will prove the world welcomes the 2022 Winter Games as another successful China’s event.
The author is a British political and international relations analyst. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.