Needled by China, India too now joins diplomatic boycott of Winter Olympics in Beijing

India's DD Sports not to air opening, closing ceremonies of games being hosted by China

Despite initially staying away from the diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 led by the United States, India too has now called China’s move to politicise the games “regrettable” and decided against sending its acting envoy to the communist country to attend its opening and closing ceremonies.

The Doordarshan’s sports channel, DD Sports, will also not telecast the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics being hosted by the Chinese government, said Shashi Sekhar Vempati, the Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharti, the public broadcaster of India.

A day after China made one of its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) commanders, who had been injured in the clash with the Indian Army soldiers at Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15, 2020, participate in the ceremonial torch-relay ahead of the Winter Olympics 2022, New Delhi stated that Beijing’s move to politicise the sporting event was “indeed regrettable”.

Also read: China gives Winter Olympics torch to PLA trooper injured in Galwan Valley clash with India

Acquino Vimal, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of India in Beijing, will not attend the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics 2022 being hosted by the Chinese Government, Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said in New Delhi on Thursday.

The Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 will start on Friday and conclude on February 20 next.

New Delhi reacted a day after Qi Fabao, a regimental commander of the PLA, participated at the torch-relay at Winter Olympic Park in Beijing on Wednesday.

Qi had suffered a head injury in the violent face-off between the Indian and Chinese soldiers at Galwan Valley on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – the de facto boundary between the two nations – on June 15, 2020.

China’s move to include the PLA commander among the torch-bearers and to get its state-affiliated media outlets to tom-tom his participation in the ceremony was apparently intended to glorify and seek legitimacy for its aggression along its LAC with India.

The US was joined by Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom in a diplomatic boycott of the sporting event being hosted by China, protesting against human rights violations by the communist country, including in Hong Kong and Xinjiang. They sent their athletes to take part in the games, but decided that no dignitary or senior official would be present during the sporting event.

India on November 26 last year joined Russia to extend support to China to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. India’s alpine skier Arif Khan is the lone athlete from the country to participate in the sporting event, but no dignitary of the Government of India was expected to attend the inaugural or closing ceremonies.

The much-hyped participation of the PLA commander injured in the Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in the torch-rally ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022, however, now prompted New Delhi to decide that even India’s acting envoy to China would not attend the opening or closing ceremonies.

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