Western media's attempt to smear Beijing Games won't work, Singapore paper says

The brilliance of the Beijing Winter Olympics will not be overshadowed by the recent attempts of some Western mainstream media to politicize sports. An article published on February 7 in Lianhe Zaobao, the largest Chinese-language newspaper in Singapore, noted that the media criticism does not target the sports event itself but represents a continuation of the ongoing political and diplomatic tussles between the US-led Western countries and China.

The article mentioned that the Chinese embassy in Canada refuted the statement issued by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the opening of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, saying that his statement "flagrantly politicizes sports based on lies and disinformation, and violates the principle of political neutrality enshrined in the Olympic Charter. The Chinese side expresses its strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to this, and has lodged stern representations with the Canadian side."

The article stated that China also rebutted the "deliberately provocative" commentaries and reports on Beijing Winter Olympics by US mainstream media outlets such as The Washington Post and The New York Times. On January 25, Liu Pengyu, the spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in the US, wrote a letter to the Editorial Board of The Washington Post regarding its editorial on Beijing Winter Olympics. In the letter, Liu emphasized that "Beijing 2022 should be an international arena for the Olympic spirit, not political manipulation. It is unethical to take the athletes hostage in the name of ‘free speech' and force them to ‘speak out' against International Olympic Committee rules."

The article further pointed out the media reports negatively impacted by political stands cannot diminish the splendor of the opening ceremony. Although this opening ceremony, also directed by the world-famous Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, contained less spectacles than the opening ceremony in 2008, it won more critical acclaim. The lively, warm, and friendly scenes presented in an aesthetically pleasing and practical way were equally unforgettable.

The opening ceremony featured an impressive a display of Chinese elements such as integrating China's 24 solar terms into the countdown. It also highlighted the high-tech advances in China, such as an ice cube being turned into crystals in the shape of the five Olympic Rings, images unfolding beneath the feet of the young people from all over the world as they marched together onto the platform. When a choir of 44 children from a mountainous county in Hebei province sang the Olympic Anthem in Greek, their clear voices made the people feel warmth and kindness in this troubled world.

The article concluded that the Winter Olympics creates an international occasion where athletes from all over the world can gather together under the Olympic flag to celebrate fair competition, solidarity and friendship. From this perspective, Beijing 2022 belongs not only to China, but also to the whole world.

Wu Fan and Pan Xie from Fudan University contributed to this article.

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