To Boycott Or Not, That Is The question ... No Question

"We're calling on the Trudeau government to work with democratic allies to diplomatically boycott the Games."

"We think at this juncture, that's the most effective way to signal to the Beijing leadership that their bellicose behaviour and violations of international law cannot be allowed to stand."

"Too often Canada has been late in joining other democracies in putting in place multilateral action."

Conservative Foreign Affairs Critic Michael Chong, Ottawa

 

"If it were up to me, it would be cause enough [to drive the Liberal caucus to implement a boycott]."

"I don't know how any self-respecting country carries on a relationship with the government of Beijing, where they kidnap your citizens and treat your prime minister like dirt."

Liberal MP John McKay

 

"We will see non-governmental organizations speaking out more intensively in the coming months, increasing the pressure on national governments."

"In that case, the Olympics would certainly be damaged, and the Chinese government would not achieve what it actually hoped to gain from these Games: a positive presentation and thus, above all, stronger support of the country."

Jürgen Mittag, sports policy expert, German Sports University, Cologne

Countries are mulling a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics

There are nations of the world seriously considering implementing an official diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Games. Canada is not yet one of them, but a growing number of Members of Parliament are becoming restive over the matter with the approach of the Olympic date. A boycott of this nature could see federal dignitaries declining attendance at any portion of the Games. Alternately, they could boycott the opening and closing ceremonies. In this manner governments would be addressing the Chinese Communist Party directly, expressing their censure.

At the same time the International Olympics Committee which has been unmoved by entreaties to move the Games elsewhere, satisfied with their having granted China yet another opportunity to showcase itself to the world at large as it did with the Summer Olympics previously, looks on impassively. Its self-aggrandizement matches that of China's; their business association sidesteps the messy pile of ordure reflecting China's human rights abuses, its threats toward Taiwan and Hong Kong, its work-enslavement of its Uyghur minority and oppression of Tibetans.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, Leader of the House of Commons in Britain declared there would be no tickets booked for ministers to attend the Winter Games. Expectations are that the United States will announce a diplomatic boycott of the Games when they open with great fanfare on February fourth. Australia too is seriously considering a boycott of the games being  held in the country that has punished it relentlessly through trade strictures for its audacity in questioning China's human rights abuses and the origin of COVID.

 Beijing Winter Olympics protest in Sydney, Australia

As for Canada, one might anticipate that the illegal three-year imprisonment of two Canadians on spurious charges of espionage to punish Canada for having detained Huawei's CFO on a US extradition request, might spur the government of Justin Trudeau to join his closest collegial democracies in expressing their disapproval of China's threats to world stability, interfering with other nations' internal affairs, engaging in cyber-espionage, imprisoning hundreds of thousands of minority Chinese Muslims for 're-education' purposes.

And then concerns emerged in the sports community over the well-being and whereabouts of a Chinese sports star, tennis player Peng Shuai, after she publicly accused a former elite-level CCP official on social media of having subjected her to years of sexual assaults. "Time is of the essence", If Canada fails to act and should Beijing decide to pre-empt any possible embarrassing boycott by the international community by itself cancelling opening ceremonies, there could be no effective boycott.

Last February the House of Commons unanimously passed an all-party motion recognizing China's human rights violations, inclusive of mass internment and allegations of torture imposed on Uyghurs, likening it to a genocide. Despite the show of universal Parliamentary support for the motion Liberal Cabinet ministers led by the prime minister abstained from voting, unwilling or fearful to commit themselves; in line with the Liberals' penchant for walking softly with Beijing.

Also in February, thirteen Members of Parliament from all parties signed a letter with their demand to the International Olympics Committee that the Winter Olympics be moved elsewhere. China has since sanctioned outspoken Canadian Members of Parliament for their objectionable views on human rights in China. The Conservative Foreign Affairs Critic Michael Chong was one of those. 

There has been another number of bills with proposals regarding the situation in Xinjiang. Conservative Senator Leo Housakos has proposed a bill in the House of Commons with the purpose of banning imports into Canada from the Xinjiang (East Turkestan) region targeting concerns related to forced labour by Uyghurs, producing products for international export.

During a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the Oval Office, U.S. President Joe Biden said a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games was 'something we are considering.' (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)