A report in the Washington Post says that the Bush administration has decided to remain neutral on Beijing’s bid to host the 2008 Summer Games, despite powerful appeals from members of the U.S. Congress to oppose the bid on human rights grounds.
A senior State Department official even said that awarding the Games to China might be a positive thing and give China “a powerful but intangible incentive” to improve its human rights performance and to exercise restraint toward Taiwan.
The U.S. administration hopes that its neutral position will help defuse an issue that China has called an emotional one for its people.
Meanwhile, momentum in Congress to take a stand against Beijing’s bid seems to be fading.
Republican leaders might not bring to the floor a House resolution opposing Beijing’s bid before Congress recesses this week and Congress won’t be returning from recess until July 9, only four days before the IOC meets in Moscow to choose a 2008 host city.
Members of the U.S. Olympic Committee, Chinese Ambassador Yang Jiechi, and some figures close to the administration have urged Congress to reconsider and avoid politicizing the Games.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph R. Biden J., recently told a group of retired foreign service officers that “it would be ill-advised for Congress to try to block China’s Olympic bid, because it would be considered a slap in the face by the Chinese people”.
Rep. Tom Lantos, who was one of the sponsors of a bipartisan resolution opposing Beijing’s bid, said Friday that “the spirit of freedom is a long way from Beijing, and the Olympics should be held in China once human rights improve”. Lantos said it was “idiotic” to argue that it is helpful to allow “an authoritarian regime to bask in the reflected glory of the Olympics”.
“I think I’ve got the votes”, he said. But he says he doubts the House leaders want it voted on. “It would be a rather regrettable and unfortunate phenomenon to appease Beijing by not allowing the voice of the Congress to speak on this issue”.
Bob Condron, director of media services at the U.S. Olympic Committee, said he worries that even if the Bush administration does not take a position on the best site for the Games, China will blame the United States if it loses.
“Generally our policy is not to have any kind of interference at all. Our sights are on 2012. That’s where our concentration is”.
Although many Republicans in Congress disagree with the administration stance, few were surprised by it.
Sidney Jones, director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch, urged IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch to ask China for written guarantees that international journalists would be given unrestricted access to the country during the Games and that the IOC would be allowed to set up a monitoring committee with at least one human rights expert. Jones also suggested that monitors be allowed to check conditions for people working at building sites associated with the Olympics.
Jones said, “if the IOC were to request and secure written commitments on human rights protections now, it would reassure many around the world who are disturbed by China’s human rights practices”.
