Olympia 2022: Who is traveling to Beijing - and what is Olaf Scholz doing?

Created: 01/27/2022, 1:48 p.m

By: Daniel Dillman

The Olympic Stadium in Beijing during the closing ceremony of the 2008 Summer Games. © imago

The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing have long since become a political issue.

There is disagreement in the European Union on the question of a boycott.

• The Winter Olympics in Beijing* start on February 4th.

• Opinions are divided at the 2022 Olympics*.

  The USA* call for a diplomatic boycott of the event in China*.

• What is Germany doing?

  Olaf Scholz* (SPD*) comments for the first time on whether Germany is sending delegates to Beijing for the opening ceremony.

Berlin – Opinions differ at the 2022 Olympics. Should the giant sporting event in Beijing be boycotted? Or would a boycott only play into the hands of those in power in China and would the achievements of hundreds of athletes not be recognized enough? And how useful is an event with participants from all over the world in the midst of the corona pandemic*?

Politicians around the world answer all these questions very differently.

US President Joe Biden* had announced a complete diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics* by his administration a few weeks ago.

Several other heads of government and heads of state followed suit.

Canada and Japan are boycotting, as are Australia, Denmark and the Netherlands, and Great Britain* is also not sending any official representatives to Beijing.

Olympics 2022: Not everyone is boycotting the Winter Games in Beijing

Poland's President Andrzej Duda, in turn, will visit the Winter Olympics in Beijing - despite Corona. A meeting with President Xi Jinping is also planned. This was confirmed by Duda's foreign policy adviser, Jakub Kumoch, to the Reuters news agency on Tuesday. The Polish news agency PAP had previously reported on it. "Poland is a sovereign nation and decides its own policy towards China," Kumoch said. "Poland is an ally of the United States, but Poland also has a very friendly relationship with China."

Insiders told Reuters Poland's relations with the US have deteriorated under US President Joe Biden.

It is no longer in Poland's interest to criticize China just to please the US.

Duda has said Poland wants to use its geographic location to boost its role in Europe-China trade.

In addition to Poland, the United Nations is also honoring China with an official visit.

Secretary General Antonio Guterres announced his participation in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

"The Olympics is an extremely important event that symbolizes the role of sport in bringing people together and promoting peace," he said Thursday.

Only in this context "and without any political dimension" will he be present at the opening ceremony.

Olympia 2022: Germany is still open to a diplomatic boycott

And what is Germany doing?

You keep all doors open.

According to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, no decision has yet been made.

"This process is not yet complete in every respect," said Scholz in mid-January after a meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in Berlin.

Germany wants to coordinate with its EU partners on the question of an Olympic boycott - even if many of these partners, such as Denmark, Poland and the Netherlands, have already made their decision.

Scholz and the federal government don't have too much time left.

The opening ceremony of the 2022 Olympic Games* will take place in Beijing on February 4th.

A German flag* will then definitely be carried through the Olympic Stadium.

It remains to be seen whether a government representative will be watching.

(dil/rtr)