"Personal decision": Baerbock does not travel to Beijing for the Olympics

Created: 12/29/2021, 11:52 AM

From: Lukas Rogalla

Annalena Baerbock (Greens), Foreign Minister of Germany.

Although she is a sports fan, she decided not to travel to China for the 2022 Olympics.

© Michael Kappeler / dpa

Foreign Minister Baerbock does not want to travel to China for the Winter Olympics.

Meanwhile, the EU is discussing a diplomatic boycott.

Berlin / Beijing - The Olympic Winter Games in Beijing are a political issue.

The USA * and other western states accuse China * of serious human rights violations and announced that they will not send diplomatic representatives to the games - to the annoyance of China.

A diplomatic boycott of Olympia 2022 * is also being discussed in Germany.

The new Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock * has already decided against visiting the games.

Baerbock does not travel to Beijing for the 2022 Olympics

“I'm a big sports fan, but I definitely won't go to the Olympics during this time.

That was not common for foreign ministers in the past either, ”said the head of the Foreign Office and chairwoman of the Greens * to the German press agency.

But that is her personal decision.

A common line with the EU partners is currently being sought on the question of a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Games.

The USA had already announced a diplomatic boycott of the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in early December.

Other states such as Great Britain *, Canada, Australia followed the decision.

The background to this is, among other things, the human rights situation in the most populous country in the world.

The leadership in Beijing has been criticized for its dealings with minorities such as the Uyghurs and Tibetans, but also for suppressing the protest movement in Hong Kong * or threats against Taiwan.

New Zealand and Japan also say they do not want to send representatives to Beijing.

However, they do not call it a diplomatic boycott.

Diplomatic boycott of 2022 Olympics - China upset

China has already threatened the boycotting states with countermeasures.

"You will pay the price for your wrongdoing," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.

Annalena Baerbock had not categorically ruled out a diplomatic boycott of Olympia 2022 * in an interview with the Taz.

“When I see how China's leadership deals with tennis player Peng Shuai * or with the arrested citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, we should of course also take a closer look at the Olympic Games.

There are different ways of dealing with this for governments, which will certainly be discussed in the coming weeks, "said the Green politician.

Vladimir Putin *, President of Russia *, on the other hand, considers a political boycott of the Winter Olympics to be unacceptable.

"This is an unacceptable and wrong decision," he said at his big annual press conference shortly before Christmas.

"We have always been against the politicization of sport." The Kremlin chief wants to travel to Beijing to open the games on February 4, 2022.

(lrg / dpa) *