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Foreign affairs
Geraldine Wong Sak Hoi Expertise: factchecking, disinformation, the future of news. Initials: gw
How should democratic countries approach the Beijing Winter Games?
- Deutsch Wie sollten demokratische Länder gegenüber den Winterspielen in Peking auftreten?
- Español ¿Cómo deben abordar los países democráticos los Juegos de Pekín?
- 中文 各个民主国家应当怎样对待北京冬奥会？
- عربي كيف ينبغي للديمقراطيات أن تتعامل مع دورة الألعاب الأولمبية الشتوية في بكين؟
- Français Quelle devrait être l'approche des pays démocratiques à l'égard des Jeux olympiques d'hiver de Pékin?
- 日本語 民主主義国は北京五輪にどう臨むべき？
- Italiano Quale dovrebbe essere l'approccio dei Paesi democratici ai Giochi olimpici invernali di Pechino?
The Chinese government has been accused of violating the rights of minorities, including Muslim Uighurs and Tibetans, and suppressing freedoms in Hong Kong. For this reason many rights activists and politicians in the West support a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics next February that would see heads of state and other top officials stay away from the event.
For Switzerland, the decision over whether to boycott the Games is a tough one. Economic relations with China are important, as is Switzerland’s good offices role bringing parties to the negotiating table – all of which the Swiss don’t want to risk jeopardising by skipping the Olympics.
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