BEIJING: A Winter Olympics overshadowed by diplomatic boycotts and concerns about human rights, Covid and the safety of Peng Shuai begins next Friday in a vast "bubble" in the Chinese capital Beijing. Warnings about air pollution, government snooping and the environmental impact of a Games, which relies almost entirely on man-made snow, add to the mix. China has been keen to stress that Beijing will take its place in Olympic history, becoming the first city to host both a Summer and Winter Games, and saying the Games will be "safe and splendid." When Washington said it would stage a diplomatic boycott because of rights concerns — with Australia, Britain and Canada among those following suit — China warned that the United States would "pay the price." On Thursday, foreign minister Wang Yi warned his US counterpart Antony Blinken during a phone call to "stop interfering" in the Olympics.

Source: Manila Times January 29, 2022 04:15 UTC