On Thursday, India joined several Western countries in boycotting the Beijing Winter Olympics over China’s decision to include a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldier in the torch relay at the opening ceremony. The soldier had been involved in the violent skirmish in Galwan that pushed China and India into a months-long stand-off along their border.
Qi Fabao is a regimental commander and was previously presented with several military honours after being injured during a violent brawl between Indian and Chinese soldiers in June 2020 in the Galwan Valley. During the incident, India reported that 20 of its soldiers had died as a result of the clashes,which instigated a diplomatic tiff between the two sides. After his recovery, he gave several interviews stating that he was “ready to return to the battlefield.”
On February 4, during the Winter Olympics Games’ opening ceremony, Qi was one of 1,200 participating in the torch relay. Following this, India said that its representative would not be attending the opening and closing events of the Games. The spokesperson for the Indian Foreign Ministry, Arindam Bagchi, said, “It is indeed regrettable that the Chinese side has chosen to politicise an event like the Olympics.” Nevertheless, the announcement will not affect the participation of Arif Khan, a skier, who is the only Indian athlete participating in the Games.
Previously, while India clarified that no high-level delegation would be present at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, it would not follow its Western allies in boycotting the Games. In fact, in November, it had released a joint statement alongside Russia and China to support the events in Beijing. However, the soldier’s presence at the games has not only resulted in the diplomatic boycott by India but is also threatening to further extend the ongoing dispute between India and China.
Last December, the US and some of its Western allies including, Canada, Australia, Britain, and New Zealand announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, citing “egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang,” referring to China’s human rights abuses of the Uyghur Muslim minority. However, while no delegations will be participating from the boycotting countries, their athletes will still compete at the events. As a result of the US-led diplomatic boycott, Chinese officials warned that countries politicising the event would “pay a price.”
Meanwhile, China expects to host delegations from 20 countries at the events, including Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Chinese President Xi Jinping has celebrated the 2022 Winter Olympics a monumental event that is helping the international community turn over a new leaf following the pandemic.