David Lammy argues that the 2022 Winter Olympics should not obscure China’s human rights violations.

Beijing should not have been allowed to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, writes David Lammy. In 2008, when China hosted the Summer Games, many believed that engagement with the country would lead to increased openness. However, these hopes have proven naïve, as China has become increasingly authoritarian under President Xi Jinping. Over the last decade, China has witnessed a crackdown on human rights, with significant political power being concentrated in the hands of the state and an extensive surveillance system put in place.

The most alarming issue has been the abuse of the Uyghur people in Xinjiang. Evidence of mass “re-education” camps, forced labor, sterilization, and cultural repression has led the international community, including the UK Parliament, to recognize these actions as genocide.

In light of these atrocities, the Labour party has called for a political boycott of the Games, with no UK government officials or politicians attending. Lammy stresses that this boycott should not extend to athletes, as they have trained their entire careers for this opportunity. Cancelling the Games would be unfair to the competitors and the Chinese people, who are not responsible for their government’s actions. However, Britain must still stand by the values embodied by Team GB and send a strong message to Beijing.