Pelosi says U.S. athletes should not anger 'ruthless' Chinese government
at Olympics
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[February 04, 2022]
By Michael Martina and Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. House of
Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday the United States
has a moral duty to condemn China's rights abuses but she urged U.S.
athletes not to risk angering the "ruthless" Chinese government, a day
before the opening of the Beijing Olympics.
Pelosi, speaking at a Congressional-Executive Commission on China
hearing, said the International Olympic Committee "turns a blind eye" to
Beijing's rights violations.
Rights groups have long criticized the IOC for awarding the Games to
China, citing its treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups,
which the United States has deemed genocide. China denies allegations of
human rights abuses.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/Feb/04/images/ads/current/fricke_sda_LUAL_2021.png)
Lawmakers on Monday urged U.S. Olympic officials to prepare to defend
American athletes from possible Chinese government retaliation should
they choose to speak out about China's rights abuses during the Beijing
Winter Olympics.
Pelosi said Washington had an "urgent moral duty to shine a bright
light" on Beijing's abuses during the Games.
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![](../images/020421pics/news_m57.jpg)
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) delivers remarks during her
weekly news conference at the US Capitol in Washington, U.S.,
January 20, 2022. Shawn Thew/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/Feb/04/images/ads/current/castlemanor_sda_FINANCIAL_2017.png) "Now the IOC, aided by corporate
sponsors, once again turns a blind eye with the 2022 Winter Olympics
just to bolster their bottom line," Pelosi said.
"If we do not speak out against human rights violations in China,
because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to
speak out against human rights violations anywhere."
But she said athletes should focus on competing in Beijing and
resist the temptation to speak out. "Do not risk incurring the anger
of the Chinese government because they are ruthless."
Representative Jim McGovern, the Democrat who leads the committee,
blasted the IOC and corporate sponsors.
'If given a choice, I believe no athlete would want to compete in a
country committing genocide and crimes against humanity. But that is
what they are forced to do because of the feckless IOC and its
corporate sponsors," he said.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Michael Martina, editing by Mark
Heinrich)
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