Despite the planned diplomatic boycott of the Olympic Games in some countries, IOC President Thomas Bach sees great international support for the upcoming Winter Games in Beijing.
“The support of the international community for this Winter Olympic Games is obvious and most welcome,” said the President of the International Olympic Committee in his New Year’s address a good month before the start of the Games.
The USA, Australia, Great Britain and Canada, among others, had announced that they would not send politicians to the games from February 4th to 20th.
China has been criticized for human rights violations in its dealings with Uyghurs and Tibetans, the threats against Taiwan and the suppression of the democracy movement in Hong Kong.
Most recently, the German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced that they would not be traveling to Beijing for the Games.
IOC neutrality
In the video message, Bach also emphasized the political neutrality of the IOC. “The Olympic Games are above any conflict,” he said, referring to the recent UN resolution declaring the Olympic ceasefire.
This shows that the mission to connect the world can only be successful if Olympia stands beyond all political disputes.
Despite the corona pandemic, Bach expressed “great confidence that we will host safe and protected Winter Olympics”.
Beijing will make history with the Games as the first city to host the Olympic Games in summer and winter. The 2008 Summer Olympics took place in Beijing.
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