is an Associate Professor in International Development Studies at and is an Associate Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the .
In , of the Beijing Winter Olympics, U.S. President Joe Biden effectively pulled his goalie from the net.
China and the United States continue to face off over how 鈥�.鈥� Following a virtual summit, Biden and China鈥檚 President Xi Jinping expressed longstanding grievances against each other.
In protest of an 鈥溾�� in Xinjiang amid other human rights abuses by Beijing, Biden鈥檚 diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Olympic Games is mostly a half measure that will annoy Beijing and could put U.S. athletes at risk.
Within a day of Biden鈥檚 announcement, followed suit with the same half-measured stance.
Hostage diplomacy
Xi鈥檚 government has a proven track record of punishing anyone who disagrees with it 鈥� including athletes and sports organizations. In tweeted 鈥渇ight for freedom; stand with Hong Kong.鈥� China responded by suspending all business ties with the franchise. The country also after Celtics鈥� forward Enes Kanter expressed public support for a free Tibet.
Beyond broadcasting rights and business ties, China has a proven track record of hostage diplomacy. China only this year.
The country has been known to use U.S. allies, like Australia and Canada, as 鈥�.鈥� China puts pressure on them, so the allies in turn pressure the U.S.
All of this begs the question: Is China beyond punishing Olympic athletes from a country engaged in a diplomatic boycott?
Could arbitrary charges be imposed by Beijing on athletes who express dissent against the country鈥檚 treatment of Hong Kong, Taiwan or the people of Tibet and Xinjiang? Could athletes be detained if drug tests come back positive? What actions could occur if athletes test positive for COVID-19?
These are all questions that diplomats and political leaders are good at handling. But for the U.S., and now , they won鈥檛 be there to help during the games.
Practical risks to athletes
Although regular diplomats will be present in the country to assist with consular situations, this might not be enough to protect athletes. The diplomatic boycott of the Olympics has angered Beijing enough that the city has threatened retaliation through 鈥�.鈥�
Hopefully, these countermeasures will not include arbitrary detainment of athletes, but there is no guarantee.
What鈥檚 more, the U.S., Canada and several other countries have not signed on to the 鈥�,鈥� a UN resolution document that ensures a peaceful environment for the games and safe passage for all athletes. This high-level symbolic diplomatic duelling brings about real practical risks to athletes.
This is not the same as arguing against political activism in sport, which is to be acknowledged and even celebrated. We aren鈥檛 moved by the argument that sports should stay out of politics.
We understand the perspective that , to stop , and . And we are sympathetic to athletes who want to be allowed to compete so they do not miss their one chance at the Olympics.
But those arguments can obscure the fact that hosting the Olympics is used by nations like China, .
They use sport to normalize and entrench themselves geopolitically. So when foreign athletes go to the Olympics in Beijing it says, 鈥淲e鈥檙e basically OK with what China is doing.鈥� Or at least, 鈥淲e don鈥檛 care enough to do anything about it.鈥�
Boycott the games entirely
Leaders shouldn鈥檛 be OK with China鈥檚 behaviour or abuses. Nor should the international community tacitly support China, or respond with taps of symbolic pressure. The real move to be made here is to boycott the games entirely. Athletes and all.
With the current political tensions, the gentle threat from world leaders like Biden, mixed with China鈥檚 proven track record of hostage diplomacy, puts athletes in danger.
Athletes are at risk of arbitrary detainment as retaliation. Whether it be related to COVID-19 protocols, doping or dissent against China鈥檚 policies. And athletes from non-boycotting nations will be seen as complacent in this politically charged environment.
None of this will do much to advance the values of the Olympics, diplomacy or sport itself.
Protest is ultimately about sending strong messages to make change. Biden鈥檚 half measure of holding back diplomats, while sending in athletes 鈥� with Australia, the U.K. and Canada following suit 鈥� is short handed. As long as athletes stand witness to the Olympic flame in Beijing and compete in the games, complacency will overshadow any message of condemnation.
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