NIAS Area Studies
PAKISTAN READER
IN FOCUS
By Dincy Adlakha
China’s Response to the US allies’ boycotting the Beijing Olympics
Starting from the US and followed by the UK, Canada, and Australia, four countries have announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022. Global Times and Xinhua respond with strong commentaries and editorials. A larger narrative of the fabricated lies of the US flow from the notes.
On 6 December 2021, a spokesperson for the US White House announced that the US will diplomatically boycott the upcoming Winter Olympics which are to be held in Beijing in February 2022. Following this decision, governments from Australia, Canada, and the UK also announced that their diplomatic officials will not be accompanying their athletes to the big event. The four countries have said that they stand with the Uyghur Muslims being abused and opposed by China in Xinjiang province. Although Wellington cited the reason for the pandemic for not sending its diplomats, the countries have collectively opposed China for conducting genocide on Uyghur Muslims earlier as well.
Media Briefs
1. Global Times:
On 8 December, an article was published by Global Times which announced that China is strongly opposed to the boycott announced by the countries and will take serious countermeasures on the same. It also pointed out that the US has just made a joke out of itself since China did not invite its officials in the first place. The article took input from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian who noted that the Winter Olympics is not a platform for manipulation. It is the wish of each country to come and cheer for their athletes. The US has used this clause and the absence of its diplomats from the event as a human rights issue which is cheating their own selves. Other experts, such as the president of the Turkish-Chinese Business Development and Friendship Association, called this decision by the US “a futile effort” and a ridiculous stand. The article also took inputs from other experts who predicted that three to four countries may follow suit with the US but no more.
2. Global Times:
On 8 December, Global Times published another editorial that was addressed mainly to the Chinese public. It assured the people that China will respond diplomatically to the chain of events and that they can do no harm to the Chinese reputation. The article read that US-China competition will probably last years and this act is just “small talk” in the cycle of a larger perspective. It mentioned that China’s first priority is its economic development and overall strength rather than such small acts incapable of incurring substantial damage to China in the wide picture. The article listed a few other priorities of the Chinese spirit such as Taiwanese reunification, strengthening defense and national strength.
3. Global Times:
On 9 December, Global times published an op-ed by Andrew Korybko on the matter where he argues that the US is feeding lies into the world media. He also suggested that the US itself does not possess full information on the issue and is just targeting the country by a weaponized narrative of “genocide” and also printed that US diplomats do not have a good enough reputation and even questioned their professional qualifications. The article reads: “everything negative that the US has said about China all these years was nothing but information warfare designed to discredit China's international reputation and deter its dozens of partners across the world from cooperating with it. Basically, it was nothing but lies, as evidenced by the fact that the US will not even impose a total boycott on the upcoming Winter Olympic Games despite its very serious but ultimately unsubstantiated claim that China is committing "genocide" against Uygur people.” According to the note, the boycott by other countries is imposed in order to impress the US and the entire fiasco is counterproductive to their own false claims.
4. Global Times:
On 8 December, China showed that it does not care for the Australian announcement of diplomatically boycotting the Winter Olympics by a Global Times editorial. It saw that the Australian authorities do not have their own mind or independent policy as they act as the “henchman” of the US. It also mentioned that the Australian actions are committed under pressure from the US. Other motivations such as security gaps due to geographic location and following the “sick, desperate” US were also highlighted. A professor from the Guangdong Research Institute for International Strategies was cited in the article to say that Japan should not backstab China by following the pattern as China provided full support to Japan during the Tokyo Olympics. As for other countries, the article also cited an official from Italy saying that their country will not boycott Winter Olympics. In this light, the article termed this US move as unpopular.
5. Xinhua:
On 7 December, Xinhua published a commentary titled ‘US Olympic Boycott politically driven’ which elaborated on how the US diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics is the latest tool of US political propaganda. The commentary said that this US action does more to divide the world than unite the world which is what the US always preaches. It also called the action by the US as an excuse for hiding face rather than a boycott since there was no invitation in the first place. The commentary read: “By spreading fallacies and turning a blind eye to the progress in the world's second-largest economy, the United States weaponizes human rights with a political motive.” It was appalled at the number of times the US has targetted Xinjiang for its political agenda. It reminded that the International Olympic Committee has added the word “together” in this year’s motto and yet a few countries run counter to the consensus of the international community.
6. Xinhua:
On 8 December, Xinhua published another commentary that called out the “lying diplomacy” of the US. The commentary quoted a former independent UN expert to call the US’ actions unoriginal, boring and hypocritical. The commentary said that the White House is sugarcoating its geopolitical intentions and does not scrutinize facts, ever. The commentary reported that the Uyghur population has doubled to more than 12 million people in four decades in Xinjiang and has seen a surge multiple times in the province. It called the US actions prejudiced and arrogant with the intention to hold back China’s peaceful development. Washington uses such white lies to call countries in its favor but is only building a strong trend of “lying diplomacy” in this manner.
References:
“Xinhua Commentary: U.S. Olympic boycott politically driven,” Xinhua Net, 7 December 2021
“Xinhua Commentary: Washington's "lying diplomacy" behind Olympic boycott,” Xinhua Net, 8 December 2021
Liu Xin, Chen Qingqing and Xu Yelu, “US hijacks Olympics, turns it into ‘small clique’ diplomatic tool ahead of democracy summit,” Global Times, 8 December 2021
“Impossible for US, West to use ‘reputation’ to harass China: Global Times editorial,” Global Times, 8 December 2021
“‘Nobody cares.’ Beijing shrugs off Canberra’s 'diplomatic boycott',” Global Times, 8 December 2021
Andrew Korybko, “'Diplomatic boycott' of Beijing Winter Olympic Games exposes the US' lies of 'Uygur genocide',” Global Times, 9 December 2021
IN BRIEF
By Keerthana Nambiar and Avishka Ashok
INTERNAL
Experts on China’s economic policy 2022
On 11 November, Bloomberg published an editorial on Chinese economic policy in 2022, and ‘stability’ is the most important variable. According to the executive vice-minister of the Communist Party of China’s central financial and economic affairs commission, Han Wenxiu China cannot return to the old growth path as there are many hidden risks in the economy and financial sector. Han stated that China needs to explore a new developmental model for the industry. He said, “All regions and agencies must take responsibility to uphold economic stability, actively introduce policies that can help stabilize the economy, and be cautious in imposing measures that will have a contractionary effect.” Ning Jizhe, who heads the statistics bureau and is a vice-chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission said, the government “must fully explore the potential of domestic demand in 2022” and must implement policies to boost demand for major goods and accelerate the development of e-commerce infrastructure and delivery systems in rural areas. (“Stability Most Important Word for China’s Economy,” Bloomberg Quint, 11 December 2021)
REGIONAL
Senior Japanese officials to skip Beijing Winter Olympics- Japanese media
On 11 December, Yomiuri Shimbun a Japanese newspaper reported that senior Japanese officials are likely to skip the Winter Olympics in Beijing joining the diplomatic boycott by the US, Britain, Australia, and Canada. “The Japanese government, along with other members of the Group of Seven nations, has expressed concern over human rights issues in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Hong Kong,” noted Yomiuri. (“Japan unlikely to send high-ranking official to Beijing Games,” The Yomiuri Shimbun, 11 December 2021)
China tightens its borders to prevent spillover of COVID-19 from Vietnam
On 10 December, South China Morning Post reported that China has tightened its security along its southwestern border to stop the spillover of COVID-19 cases from Vietnam. The authorities in the region have now detained smugglers helping illegal border-crossing, set up extra checkpoints and mass testing centers in the borders. (“China tightens border with Vietnam to stop coronavirus surge,” South China Morning Post, 10 December 2021)
Multiple Chinese Aircraft enter Taiwanese defense zone
On 10 December, Taiwan reported that 13 Chinese aircraft have entered the Air Defense Identification Zone of Taiwan. This was the latest incursion made by Chinese aircraft into the Taiwanese territory which China claims to be an inalienable part of its land. Pressure from military expansion and aggression over Taiwan has increased from China over the past few months. (“Taiwan reports 13 Chinese aircraft in defence zone,” Reuters, 10 December 2021)
Regional filmmaker releases memoir of North Korean women trapped in sex slavery in China
On 11 December, Korea Times published an article covering the release of a book by Korean-Canadian filmmaker Sylvia Yu Friedman on the stories of women sold in sex slavery to Chinese farmers. The book is titled ‘A Long Road to Justice: Stories from the Frontlines in Asia’ and is based on the lives of women who leave their homes from East Asia including China and Hong Kong, to look for jobs but instead end up in sex slavery. She said: “There are thousands of children of North Korean mothers and Chinese fathers. Hundreds, if not thousands, of these children are abandoned by their mothers if they escape to a third country like South Korea, or if they are sold again to another husband.” She aims to help create awareness over the matter and create an international whisper for the same. She expects professionals to help out such women and volunteer for the cause. (“Memoir delivers cries for help from N. Korean women trapped in sex slavery in China,” Korea Times, 11 December 2021)
INTERNATIONAL
Chinese Foreign Ministry criticizes US-led Summit for Democracy
On 11 December, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson made an online statement on the US-organized Summit for Democracy. The ministry stated that “democracy has long become a weapon of mass destruction used by the US to interfere in other countries” and accused the US of instigating “color revolutions” overseas. China vowed to “resolutely resist and oppose all kinds of pseudo-democracies” and claimed that this summit was organized with the motive to “draw lines of ideological prejudice, instrumentalise and weaponise democracy... (and) incite division and confrontation.” (“China brands US democracy 'weapon of mass destruction,” Strait Times, 11 December 2021)