Macron Will Not Join Olympic 'Diplomatic Boycott'... "Opposes Politicization"

French President Emmanuel Macron (Photo by Reuters)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his intention not to join the U.S.-led diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

At a press conference held on the 9th (local time), President Macron said, "We should not politicize the Olympics to take measures that are unimportant and merely symbolic," adding, "We should either carry out a full boycott by not sending athletes or try to change the situation with actions that have useful effects."

He stated, "I do not support a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics, but I may reconsider after discussions with other European countries," and added, "After consulting with other European Union (EU) countries and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), we will announce a joint decision next week."

He also emphasized that he would uphold the charter to protect athletes in cooperation with the IOC, referring to Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai's Me Too allegations.

Prior to President Macron's press conference, Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer appeared on BFM TV and announced that France plans to send Roxana Maracineanu, the Minister Delegate for Sports under the Ministry of Education, to the Beijing Olympics.

Minister Blanquer explained that while human rights violations occurring in China deserve condemnation, "sports is a world with its own meaning and must be protected from political interference."

A diplomatic boycott of the Olympics means sending athletes to the Games but not dispatching delegations composed of government or political officials.

Earlier, on the 6th, the United States declared a diplomatic boycott citing China's human rights abuses, followed by five countries including New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom expressing their intention to join the boycott.

The entire membership of the security alliance 'AUKUS'?comprising the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia?and the intelligence alliance 'Five Eyes,' which includes Canada and New Zealand, decided to boycott.

Japan, another U.S. ally, is also considering a boycott. The Sankei Shimbun reported that Japan is reviewing the possibility of withholding ministerial dispatch to the Beijing Olympics. Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated regarding participation in the diplomatic boycott, "I will independently judge from the perspective of national interest, comprehensively considering the significance for the Olympics and Japanese diplomacy."

Italy, the host country of the 2026 Winter Olympics, will not join the diplomatic boycott due to the precedent that the next Olympic host country must send a government delegation. South Korea has also stated that no decision has yet been made regarding the attendance of its government delegation.

China's response to the diplomatic boycott declarations has been predictably tough. Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, warned, "We must stop the politicization of sports," and added, "If the United States acts unilaterally, we will respond severely."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.