Both sides demonstrated once again the “partnership between China and Russia” and are therefore in close communication about the details of the visit. “We hope and are convinced that athletes from both countries will set new records,” said the Foreign Office spokesman.
The Russian athletes are not officially allowed to compete for their country because of the sanctions in response to state-organized doping at the Winter Olympics, which will take place from February 4th to 20th, but only for the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC).
US President Joe Biden, who, unlike Vladimir Putin, claims to be considering a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Games, sees the whole matter differently. However, the participation of US athletes would remain unaffected. However, no government officials would attend. There is tension between the two countries. There is also criticism of human rights violations by China.
Due to the unusually strict requirements for the prevention of the corona pandemic, it is currently unclear from which countries and how many official guests will be arriving. China has a strict zero-covid policy. All Olympic participants are only allowed to move in “closed circuits”. Unlike the Summer Games in Tokyo, these “bubbles” are hermetically sealed. Nobody is allowed to move out of control or outside.
