Russia Opposes Politicizing Beijing Winter Olympics

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said her country opposes the politicization of the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.

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"We believe that sports should remain separate from politics. We have no doubt that China will be able to host the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the highest level in the context of existing anti-epidemic restrictions," Zakharova said, pointing out that the United States has "on a regular basis, under far-fetched pretexts" organized disinformation and political campaigns to disrupt the holding of the Olympic Games in countries that do not obey Washington's commands.

She recalled how Russia also faced a disinformation campaign from the United States when it hosted the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, including threats of a boycott, but the sporting event proved to be a significant one in the history of the Olympics.

"We wish China the same success, not to succumb to provocative statements, but to organize everything in the name of sports and peace, on behalf of athletes and sports fans," Zakharova said.

Regarding the U.S. political strategy, Farhad Javanbakht Kheirabadi, a scholar at Shahid Beheshti University in Iran, said that all participants and supporters of the Beijing Winter Olympics are "peace envoys and the attempt to boycott the event is "doomed to fail."

The motto of the 2022 Winter Games has been set as "Together for a Shared Future," which conveys the idea that China is committed to working with people around the world to "create a better future," Javanbakht Kheirabadi said, adding that this future features "a world free of war, fear, displacement and refugees, and a world full of peace, mutual respect, and shared destiny."

Looking back on the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, the Iranian scholar pointed out that those games opened a window for the world to "observe the development of China." Yet, the success of the 2008 Olympics also prompted some Western powers to "fear China's promotion of global influence."