By Juliana Chan
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – The People’s Daily, the leading community party newspaper in China, expressed in a commentary piece Tuesday that any attempt to use the Beijing Olympics to discredit China or force it to change policy is doomed to failure.

This comes in response to an intense week of increased international criticism of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. On Monday, Britain’s Prince Charles, who has long taken an interest in Tibet, said he would not be going to the opening ceremony of August’s games. Wang Hui, a spokeswoman for the Beijing Olympic organizing committee, responded to the Prince’s boycott as “unfair…[t]he Beijing Olympic Games belongs to the whole world, not only to China. Our slogan is ‘One World, One Dream.”

The Games have been linked to Darfur, Taiwan independence, religious liberties in Tibet, and freedom of expression. Beijing, however, is fighting to prevent the event from being politicized.

The commentary said that the international pressure has forced China to face “suggestions and accusations from all over the world, including misunderstandings, sarcasm and very harsh criticism.” Furthermore, China will never submit to taunting or political pressure from groups or governments wishing to use the Beijing Olympics to change Chinese policy.

Jiang Yu, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said China’s progress in protecting the rights and freedoms of its citizens should be recognized, and the international community should oppose acts disrupting the Olympic Games.

For more information, please see:

Reuters – Olympics-China says won’t submit to pressure – 29 January 2008

Guardian Unlimited – China hits out at attempts to politicise Olympics – 29 January 2008

CNN – Tibet group: Prince to boycott Games – 28 January 2008