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The United States, Britain, Australia and other countries have successively announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, and Japan is a newcomer.
Japan announced that it would not send government officials to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics, join the camp of Western countries such as the United States and Britain, and “diplomatically boycott” this sports event.
According to Kyodo News, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroichi Matsuno officially announced the attendees of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics at a press conference on Friday (December 24). They will organize the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, respectively. Committee chairman Hashimoto Seiko, Japan Olympic Committee chairman Yasuhiro Yamashita, and Japan Paralympic Committee chairman Mori Kazuyuki, a total of 3 people.
The United States, Britain, Canada, Lithuania, and Australia have successively announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics to express their dissatisfaction with China’s violation of the human rights of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and the destruction of democracy in Taiwan and Hong Kong. New Zealand also made the same decision on the grounds of the epidemic.
In fact, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated on December 16 that he currently has no plans to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics. According to Taiwan media quoted by the “Japan Broadcasting Association” (NHK) report today, Fumio Kishida is facing increasing pressure within the Liberal Democratic Party and is required to take a tougher stance against China. On Thursday (December 23), Fumio Kishida called on former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who still has a strong influence in the party, to exchange views on China policy.
Image source,getty
From Beijing’s point of view, the success of the Olympic Games is related to national honor.
Since 2022 is also the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, what kind of changes Japan’s decision will cause between the two countries’ diplomacy is of concern to all walks of life.
As early as the end of November, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian pointed out that the fact that individuals in Japan linked the Beijing Winter Olympics to bilateral political agendas is essentially politicizing sports and blaspheming the Olympic spirit. China firmly opposes this.
“China has fully supported Japan in hosting the Tokyo Olympics, and Japan should have basic faith,” Zhao Lijian said at a regular press conference on November 25.