Syrian Olympic Committee takes China’s side against US

Syria’s Olympic Committee expressed “solidarity” with China yesterday. 

The committee denounced “US blackmail” in reference to calls in the United States to boycott the Winter Olympics in February, which will take place in China. The committee added that the International Olympic Committee should come out in support of holding the games in China as planned, Syria’s official news outlet SANA reported. 

The Syrian statement came amid heightened scrutiny of the People’s Republic of China related to sports. Last month, US President Joe Biden said he was “considering” a boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in China due to human rights issues in the country. There is a particularly high degree of outrage of China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims, and some Americans are calling for a boycott of the games. 

The criticism gained steam last month when Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai accused a Chinese official of sexual assault. Shuai was subsequently not seen in public for several days. She eventually surfaced, but on Dec. 1, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) decided to suspend tournaments in China, citing concerns that Shuai is being censored by Chinese authorities. 

Shuai’s story has gained attention around the world. Turkish-American basketball player Enes Kanter said US sports leagues should “take notes” on how the WTA stood up to Beijing. 

Syria and China have good relations. China has expressed an interest in participating in rebuilding efforts in Syria. China is also close to Iran, which is a major supporter of the Syrian government in the civil war.