Name: New geopolitical fears surround 2022 Beijing Olympics
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New geopolitical fears surround 2022 Beijing Olympics

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Illustration: Aïda Amer/AxiosGlobal fears of China's authoritarian rise are overshadowing the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing and sparking calls for a boycott. Why it matters: By openly flouting human rights norms while claiming leadership of the international system, China is cracking the foundation upon which global traditions such as the Olympics are based.Driving the news: A coalition of 180 rights groups have for a traditional boycott of the Beijing 2022 Olympics, citing human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in China.The Beijing 2008 Summer Games were China's first Olympics, and many Chinese people both at home and around the world felt an immense sense of pride and patriotism. That enthusiasm infused the games with an unforgettable sense of joy and hope.Yes, but: Human rights advocates criticized China in 2008, citing China's repression in Tibet and its support of Sudan amid the genocide in Darfur.Now China is actually committing a genocide, not just abetting one. In January, the U.S. State Department the Chinese Communist Party's ongoing policies of mass internment and forced assimilation of ethnic Uyghurs in Xinjiang amounts to genocide.Numerous countries have boycotted past Olympics to protest against the host country, but there's also precedent for the IOC taking action, itself. It banned South Africa from 1964 to 1988 over its apartheid policies.The big picture: It's harder than ever for an Olympic boycott to gain traction. While a full-blown boycott of Beijing 2022 seems unlikely, some Uyghur and Tibetan advocacy groups are banding together to urge a diplomatic boycott of Beijing 2022.What's happening: "The International Olympic Committee won't speak to you if you don’t want the games to happen. If you’re trying to boycott the games, broadcasters won’t speak to you, athletes won’t speak to, sponsors won’t speak to you," said Pete Irwin, a program officer at the Uyghur Human Rights Project. The IOC itself is also facing ire. Mandie McKeown, executive director of the International Tibet Network, which is also advocating for a diplomatic boycott, told Axios she is "hugely disappointed" with the IOC for refusing to address China's massive human rights violations.The bottom line: “The IOC knows the Chinese authorities are arbitrarily detaining Uyghurs and other Muslims, expanding state surveillance, and silencing numerous peaceful critics,” Human Rights Watch China director Sophie Richardson last week.Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN on Monday that the deadly hurt the U.S. standing as a nation that defends democracy and human rights.Why it matters: The U.S. has traditionally been a leading voice in condemning political violence around the world. Many world leaders to images broadcast around the globe of rioting supporters of former President Trump on Jan. 6.Australian journalist Cheng Lei has been formally arrested in China after some six months in detention "on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas," Australia's government said.The big picture: Already between China and Australia have deteriorated since Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison last year called for an into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.Health: — Axios-Ipsos poll: — .Vaccine: Uber and Walgreens partner — Experts say — Most seniors .Politics: CDC chief: Trump-appointed aides — Both chambers for Biden's relief plan. World: COVID-19 came from lab incident.

Illustration: Aïda Amer/AxiosGlobal fears of China's authoritarian rise are overshadowing the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing and sparking calls for a boycott. Why it matters: By openly flouting human rights norms while claiming leadership of the international system, China is cracking the foundation upon which global traditions such as the Olympics are based.Driving the news: A coalition of 180 rights groups have for a traditional boycott of the Beijing 2022 Olympics, citing human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in China.The Beijing 2008 Summer Games were China's...

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Kendall Baker

Bethany is the China reporter at Axios. She is the author of the weekly Axios China newsletter, and she covers Beijing's influence and intentions.

https://www.axios.com/authors/baebrahimian

Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian

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New geopolitical fears surround 2022 Beijing Olympics

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