MOSCOW, December 7. /TASS/. The Beijing Olympic Games will take place - with or without US representatives - since China has coordinated tough anti-COVID-19 restrictions with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), including those limiting the access of officials, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.
However, China has not slapped a ban on the aspirations of athletes from the United States to take part in the event, Peskov noted, commenting on Washington’s statements regarding its plans to announce a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Olympics in China.
According to Peskov, Moscow adheres to the stance that "it is crucial that all athletes should have the right to take part in fair competitions and that the ideals of Olympism are free from politics."
"We are sticking to our position. Concerning this particular case, as far as I understand, US athletes can take part in the competitions, this is in their interests. The Olympics will be held with or without them. As for the rest - it’s hard to say if this is a boycott because the Olympics is held under rather harsh restrictions due to the pandemic and as we remember, China, as the Olympics host, has coordinated with the IOC an option when official representatives won’t be invited," Peskov noted.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday said the US will hold a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics. She said the US allies and partners abroad will make their own decisions about participating in the Games. The reason for the calls to boycott the sporting event — which were made earlier by the US, Canada, Norway, and almost 200 rights groups in various countries - were purported repressions in China’s Xinjiang region.
The 24th Olympics will take place in Beijing from February 4-20, 2022.