We noticed that the Estonian leader announced that he would not attend the Beijing Winter Olympics which will be held in February next year on December 12, citing so-called “political factors”. Here I would like to stress the following points:

First, according to Olympic rules, dignitaries are invited by their respective National Olympic Committee (NOC), not the host country, to attend the Olympic Games.

Second, recently certain countries have been wantonly hyping up the so called human rights issues in Xinjiang, linking the Beijing Winter Olympics with the so called “political factors” and politicizing sports. It seriously violates the Olympic Charter, especially the principle of “political neutrality” of sports, and runs counter to the new Olympic motto of “together”. China is firmly opposed to that.

Third, the Olympic Games is a grand gathering of athletes and sports lovers, not a stage for the posturing and grandstanding of politician. Not long ago, the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted by consensus the resolution on Olympic Truce for the Beijing Winter Games, showcasing the international community’s full support for the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Fourth, the so called human rights issues in Xinjiang is completely the political manipulation of certain countries and created out of nothing, aiming to slander China and disturb the Beijing Winter Olympics, which wins no support and is doomed to fail.

Fifth, we are seeing more and more countries expressing in public their support for the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. Athletes from all over the world are eagerly looking forward to coming to China for the Games. We wish the Estonian athletes excellent performance at the Winter Olympics. We have every confidence that guided by the Olympic spirit and with the concerted efforts by all sides, China will surely present a streamlined, safe and splendid Olympic event to the world.