Original Title: The Japanese Prime Minister said that he has no plans to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded
[环球网报道]On December 16, 2021, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin presided over a regular press conference. Part of the content is as follows.
Reuters reporter: The Japanese Prime Minister said that he currently has no plans to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics. What is China’s response to this?
Wang Wenbin: The Beijing Winter Olympics is a grand event for winter Olympic athletes and ice and snow sports enthusiasts around the world. We welcome all walks of life to actively participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics and oppose the politicization of sports. This position is consistent and clear. China is confident of hosting a “simple, safe and exciting” Olympic Games.
Related reports:
Japanese media: Japan may not send senior officials to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics (Observer Network)
(Observer News) Japan’s “Yomiuri Shimbun” quoted multiple sources on the 11th as saying that Japan may send Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee Chairman Hashimoto Seiko and others to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics, but the Japanese government ministerial-level senior officials Will not participate. Japan will make a formal decision within this month, which also means that Japan may keep pace with the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia on this issue.
Japanese “Yomiuri Shimbun” reportEarlier, conservative members of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party put pressure on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida not to send government officials to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics. After the United States announced that it would not send an official delegation to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics, Kishida Fumio responded on the 7th that Japan will comprehensively consider factors such as the significance of the Winter Olympics and make independent judgments based on its own interests. Japanese media mentioned that Kishida has expressed his hope to go to the United States for face-to-face talks with Biden as soon as possible, and is currently coordinating the schedule with the US. At that time, Kishida may convey to the US the Japanese government’s response policy for the Beijing Winter Olympics during the talks.
The Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK) stated that when considering how to respond to the Beijing Winter Olympics, Japan not only pays attention to the United States, but also considers that China will send the director of the General Administration of Sports this year to participate in the Tokyo Olympics, so it will never send a ministerial level. The direction of the officials coordinated, but the Japanese athlete team will participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics as planned.
In February 2021, former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, then chairman of the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee, was forced to resign due to sex discrimination. At that time, only half a year had passed since the opening of the Olympic Games, and the Japanese government finally decided to replace it by Seiko Hashimoto, who was then the Minister in charge of the Olympic Games. On February 18, Hashimoto resigned as minister and took over as chairman of the Olympic Organizing Committee on the same day.
Seiko Hashimoto, Chairman of the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee (Japanese media photo)On November 29, Japanese Olympic Committee Chairman Yasushi Yamashita and former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda both expressed their wishes for the success of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Yasuhiro Yamashita also revealed that Japan will send a large-scale delegation of more than 200 people to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics, and he will also go to Beijing with the delegation.
A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Guterres recently stated that Guterres will attend the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. French President Macron stated that the Olympic Movement should not be politicized, and that “diplomatic boycott” of the Beijing Winter Olympics is of little significance and only has a symbolic effect. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Chernyshenko stated that the US is trying to politicize the Beijing Winter Olympics, but the Olympic Movement will not be affected by this.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stated at a regular press conference on the 10th that the Beijing Winter Olympics is a grand event and stage for winter Olympic athletes and ice and snow sports enthusiasts around the world. More and more national governments and the National Olympic Committee have publicly expressed their support for the Beijing Winter Olympics. We welcome athletes and related persons from all countries to participate in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in China, and we are willing to work with all parties to practice the Olympic spirit of “more unity” and make new contributions to the promotion of the Olympic cause.
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