Education and Sports Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said Thursday that France will not join other Western countries in a diplomatic boycott of the next Winter Olympics in Beijing.
When asked about the US, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada declaring a boycott, Blanquer told RMC radio and BFM television that France “won’t do it.”
During the interview, Blanquer said, “We need to be careful about the link between sports and politics.”
“Sports are a world unto itself, and they must be protected from political meddling. If not, things could spiral out of control, putting all of the competitions at risk.”
As relations between Washington and Beijing deteriorate, French President Emmanuel Macron has sought to avoid direct confrontation with Beijing and has cautioned of the potential of violence.
In September, he became enraged with the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia after they signed a new security agreement known as AUKUS, which caused Australia to terminate its purchase of French submarines.
Blanquer has stated that he will not travel to Beijing, but that the French government will be represented by Roxana Maracineanu, a junior sports minister.
The decision was not confirmed by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who said during a press conference around the same time as Blanquer that he was still seeking a uniform EU stance on a prospective boycott.
“When it comes to the diplomatic boycott, this matter will be addressed at the European level,” he told reporters.
On Thursday, China warned Western countries that a diplomatic boycott would cost them “a lot of money.”
The United States announced its boycott earlier this week, citing rampant Chinese human rights violations and what it calls “genocide” against the Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang.
“We need to criticize human rights crimes in China because there are some,” Blanquer continued. “We need to have the right and acceptable attitude when it comes to sporting events.”
This year has been difficult for the EU-China relationship, with both parties exchanging tit-for-tat penalties over China’s treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority.
During her 16 years in office, former German chancellor Angela Merkel pushed for closer connections with China, but she was succeeded by Olaf Scholz on Wednesday, who is scheduled to visit Paris on Friday and hold a joint press conference with Macron.
