FAQs – Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games
No Dutch government delegation will be attending the Olympic Winter Games in China. Below you will find answers to a number of important questions.
Why is the Netherlands not sending a government delegation to the Olympic Winter Games in China?
No Dutch government delegation will be attending these Games. Because of the strict COVID-19 rules it is not possible for Dutch spectators to attend the Beijing Olympic Winter Games (4-20 February 2022). This was also the case at the Tokyo Olympics last summer. For this reason, King Willem-Alexander will not be attending these Winter Games either.
In addition, the strict COVID-19 rules offer little scope for any meaningful programme to be arranged, such as meetings with Chinese dignitaries. This makes it impossible, for example, to discuss the Netherlands’ serious concerns about the human rights situation in China. The government has therefore decided that it will not send an official delegation to these Olympic Winter Games.
Which other countries will not be represented at the Olympic Winter Games?
Only a limited number of countries are sending a government delegation to these Olympic Winter Games. Discussions with other EU member states indicate that many hold similar positions to the Netherlands'. Although no official delegation will attend the Games, this does not mean that a political boycott is in effect. So the prime minister, the King and Dutch government ministers will be supporting and congratulating the athletes as usual, even though they will be remaining in the Netherlands.
What is the Netherlands doing about human rights in China?
The Netherlands has grave concerns about the general human rights situation in China. Universal human rights, such as freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief, are being increasingly restricted. The rights of ethnic and religious minorities are under severe pressure.
The Netherlands’ most serious concerns involve the situation in Xinjiang, where Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities are subject to large-scale detention in ‘re-education camps’. The region is also characterised by surveillance, indoctrination, inhuman living conditions, forced labour and systematic violations of the freedom of religion or belief.
The Netherlands and the EU speak out against this concerning situation and are pressing, for example, for an independent investigation by the UN. In addition, the Netherlands and the EU are calling for unfettered access to Xinjiang by independent observers such as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Joint statements and the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime form part of broader Dutch human rights policy on China. The Netherlands also works to promote human rights through regular contacts with China and projects under the Human Rights Fund umbrella.