Putin accepts China's invitation to attend 2022 Winter Olympics despite US boycott calls

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on 16 September, Thursday said that President Vladimir Putin has accepted China’s invitation to attend the Beijing Winter Olympic Games in February 2022. According to state-run news agency Tass, Lavrov said that Putin was “delighted” to accept Chinese President Xi Jinping’s invitation to the Winter Olympic Games. He added that Moscow also hopes that Putin would hold an in-person summit with his Chinese counterpart, and that “Chinese and Russian athletes will once again prove their highest sports and human qualities”. 

Speaking at a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Lavrov also highlighted the historic significance of the Russian-Chinese treaty on friendship.  "We are glad to be meeting once again in the year of the 20th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation," he said. He recalled that back in June, Russia and Chinese leaders had praised the “historic importance” of this treaty and especially its role in forming the modern model of bilateral relations. 

Further, the Russian Minister informed that Moscow and Beijing are engaged in regular contacts at the highest level as well as between diplomatic agencies and heads of governments. Lavrov said that currently, five inter-governmental commissions on the level of deputy Prime Ministers are active between the two nations. He pointed out that today, Russia and China can discuss the state of bilateral relations and tasks for the near future. 

He said that it is “vital to exchange opinions on regional issues,” adding that Afghanistan is the talk of the town. Lavrov also informed that meetings of the Collective Security Treaty Organization drafted special declarations on this issue. 

US calls for boycott of Beijing Winter Olympic Games

Meanwhile, it is to mention that Putin’s acceptance of China’s invitation comes after several Western politicians, including US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, called for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing games over human rights issues. The United States has said that China’s treatment of Uyghurs in its Xinjiang region amounts to genocide. Washington has even warned investors about the risks of doing business in Hong Kong as Beijing tightens its political grip on the financial hub. 

(Image: AP)