China under fire in the deliberation of a host country for the 2032 Olympics
By Han Yiheng and Brian Lee
In its second council session on the issue of choosing a host for the 2032 Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) deliberated on the criteria for the selection of the host nation. As countries began advocating for their preferred host country, China’s bid to host the 2032 Olympics came under fire from numerous countries. Many of them cited China’s poor human rights record and mistreatment of the Uyghur Muslims as reasons why China should not be allowed to host the Olympics.
Many countries had their own opinion on what was the most important factor of consideration when choosing a host country. Many of them mentioned economic viability, geopolitical stability, sustainable development, and a country’s reputation on the international stage. However, when it came to the last factor, China received a lot of heat from its skeptics, namely Rwanda and Mexico.
Both countries pointed out China’s recent controversy surrounding the Uyghur Muslim concentration camps, stating that there were already talks of boycotting the 2022 Chinese Winter Olympic Games. The two countries advised against Chinese hostship, as they claimed China has had a long history of sour relations with Western countries, and would not fulfill the mission of the Olympic games. Apart from them, other countries also insinuated that China would not be a suitable host due to its various controversies.
The Olympic Games are a prestigious sporting event broadcasted worldwide, and most of the IOC’s funding comes from its television rights. With a host like China, it could detrimentally affect viewership and negatively impact the reputation of the Olympic Games. China needs to address its treatment of the Uyghur Muslims and take steps to realign its position in a more positive light.
“[These are] all just controversies”
After accusations were flung against China, countries were expecting a statement from the accused, explaining itself and its actions. However, all they got was an emotionally-charged warning. “Don’t interfere with China’s internal affairs”, China proclaimed, defending itself by noting that the accusations were “all just controversies”, before using the rest of its time to talk about its impressive Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
China’s poor reaction to the other countries’ contentions, has definitely made itself an unpopular candidate to host the Olympics. Instead of taking offense at the accusations from its critics, China should have taken the lead and addressed the issue, putting it to rest once and for all. China’s heavy-handed defence was definitely not reassuring to the other countries, and could perhaps raise concerns that the welfare of their own athletes would be at stake.
China’s supporters: the other side of the fence
In the second council session, China still had its fair share of support, most noticeably from Russia and Sweden. Both countries brought attention to China’s impressive economy, with Russia citing that China had the second largest GDP in the world. Sweden further stated that it was “displeased” that some countries questioned China’s governance. However, it cannot be denied that the burden of proof lies with China. Both Russia and Sweden are playing an abetting role to China by focusing on China’s strengths instead of shifting the focus and encouraging China to address the accusations and skepticisms.
The Swedish delegate’s support for China was also not in order. Swedish-Chinese relations have been tense and the Swedish delegate’s stance does not accurately reflect their country's position. Recently, Sweden awarded a Chinese-born Swedish writer, Gui Minhai, with the Tucholsky prize, causing the ambassador of China to release threats toward the Swedish government, souring a 60-year relationship of genial cooperation. The writer was detained and arrested by Chinese authorities in 2015 because of his harsh criticism of the Chinese government.
When Sweden decided to award him, Chinese ambassador Gui Congyou somewhat poetically stated, "We treat our friends with fine wine, but for our enemies we use shotguns." Perhaps it sounded less menacing in Chinese, but the statement was a true display of China’s egocentric ideals, choosing to sacrifice international ties so as to maintain its image of a “heavyweight”, in the words of the ambassador.
What next?
At the time of writing this article, China still seems to remain favourable among the silent majority of the IOC, amassing the second largest number of votes. However, this article serves to caution members of the IOC to relook China’s stance on humanitarian issues, as well as consider the impacts on the reputation of the Olympics if China were to receive hostship. China seems to want countries to adopt a laissez-faire attitude toward their treatment of Uyghur Muslims. However, delegates are reminded that human rights are of worldwide concern, and should not be overlooked.
References
Diplomat, J. O. for T. (2020, January 16). China Tries to Put Sweden on Ice. – The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2019/12/china-tries-to-put-sweden-on-ice/.
Flood, A. (2019, November 18). China threatens Sweden after Gui Minhai wins free speech award. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/nov/18/china-threatens-sweden-after-gui-minhai-wins-free-speech-award.