Winter Olympics

“The 2022 Winter Olympics open Friday [in Beijing] under heavy security and warnings from officials that athletes or others could face legal action if they speak out on human rights or other touchy issues. The Games are a reminder of both China’s rise and its disregard for civil liberties, which has prompted a diplomatic boycott led by the United States…

“Rights groups have documented forced labor, mass detentions and torture, and the U.S. has called China’s internment of at least 1 million Uyghurs genocide. China has also come under criticism over the near-disappearance from public view of tennis star Peng Shuai after she accused a former senior member of the ruling Communist Party of sexually assaulting her.” AP News

Both sides condemn the Chinese government’s human rights abuses and the decision to hold the Olympics in Beijing.