The International Community Moves Toward Diplomatic Boycott... "Human Rights Issues Must Be Resolved"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] The torch for the Beijing Winter Olympics, opening next February, arrived in Beijing, the capital of China, on the 20th.
China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that the Winter Olympics torch arrived in Beijing by air from Athens, Greece, on the morning of the same day.
The Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee held a torch welcoming ceremony at the Beijing Olympic Tower near the 'Niaochao (鳥巢, Bird's Nest),' where the Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies will be held.
Niaochao was used as the main stadium during the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
The organizing committee plans to display the torch at the Olympic Tower for a while to promote the Winter Olympics and then start the official torch relay in February next year.
The relay will take place in the Beijing, Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou areas where the Winter Olympics will be held, with 1,200 runners participating.
The torch relay route is characterized by three themes: ice and snow, history, and the Great Wall, designed to showcase natural scenery, cultural features, and urban landscapes.
An organizing committee official explained, "Considering the global COVID-19 situation, we decided to prioritize public health and safety in conducting the torch relay event."
Earlier, the torch was lit on the 18th (local time) at the Hera Temple in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Olympics, and the next day it was handed over to Wu Jiaqing, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee and Vice Chairman of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.
Beijing, the host city of the 2008 Summer Olympics, will become the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics when it holds the Winter Games next year.
However, movements demanding a boycott are continuing, citing human rights issues.
Human rights organizations and some members of the U.S. Congress are urging the International Olympic Committee to postpone the Winter Olympics and change the host city if China does not stop its oppression of the Uyghur people and other Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
The UK House of Commons passed a resolution in July to diplomatically boycott the Winter Olympics due to China's human rights abuses. The European Parliament also adopted a resolution urging member states to refuse invitations to the Olympics if the Chinese government does not demonstrate improvements in human rights conditions.
On the 17th, a day before the torch lighting ceremony, human rights activists held protests against the Winter Olympics in Athens and other locations and were arrested by local police.
The Beijing Winter Olympics will be held from February 4 for 16 days across three regions?Beijing, Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou?with about 2,900 athletes from 85 countries participating.
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