China’s Global Times state propaganda newspaper proclaimed that America was besieged by “deep divisions” and that “social disorder” was plunging the country into chaos in an article this weekend on the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
The state newspaper was referencing comments made by three American athletes at the event – out of 232 – suggesting that they were uncomfortable representing their country due to various policies implemented by President Donald Trump, most prominently immigration enforcement.
At a press conference last week, freestyle skiers Hunter Hess and Chris Lillis emphasized to reporters that did not wish to represent “everything that’s going on” in America, suggesting they were not proud of their country due to political differences with the current presidential administration. Gold-medalist figure skater Amber Glenn, who identifies as “pansexual,” also claimed that America’s LGBTQIA2+ community was going through a “hard time” that complicated her sentiments towards her country.
“Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.,” Hess told reporters, stating that it was “a little hard” for him to “wear Team USA gear” because he was not “the biggest fan” of “a lot going on.”
Lillis described himself as “heartbroken” for his country, specifically about the enforcement of immigration laws by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“I feel heartbroken about what’s happened in the United States ….. I’m pretty sure you’re referencing ICE, and some of the protests and things like that,” Lillis stated, adding that his country should “focus on respecting everybody’s rights and making sure that we’re treating our citizens as well as anybody with love and respect.”
Glenn offered more extensive comments stating that, under Trump, “queer” people were having a “hard time.”
“And now especially, it’s not just affecting the queer community, but many other communities, and I think that we are able to support each other in a way that we didn’t have to before, and because of that, it’s made us a lot stronger,” she claimed, adding that she hopes to “use my platform and my voice throughout these Games to try and encourage people to stay strong in these hard times.”
“I know that a lot of people say you’re just an athlete, like, stick to your job, shut up about politics, but politics affect us all,” she continued. “It is something that I will not just be quiet about because it is something that affects us in our everyday lives. So of course, there are things that I disagree with, but as a community, we are strong and we support each other, and brighter days are ahead of us.”
Glenn later posted on her social media profiles that should would be taking a “breather” online due to alleged “hate” for her comments.
The Chinese government is a repressive regime that brutally crushes any public expression of disagreement with genocidal dictator Xi Jinping and his Communist Party. Chinese athletes very rarely comment on politics at all and some whose identity itself is a political problem, such as those of the Uyghur ethnicity China is committing genocide against, are rapidly whisked away if presenting the threat of potentially arousing political interest. Shortly before the last Winter Olympics, the 2022 edition in Beijing, Wimbledon champion Peng Shuai disappeared from the public eye after accusing a Chinese government Olympics official of rape. Peng was briefly trotted out in public to silence global outcries demanding proof of life, but her whereabouts remain a mystery to this day.
The totalitarian reality of Chinese athletes was entirely absent in the Global Times‘s assessment of the U.S. Olympic team’s commentary.
The [American] athletes’ remarks reflect not provocation, but a sense of unease driven by growing social disorder linked to immigration enforcement,” the state outlet claimed, citing regime-approved “expert” Lü Xiang, a regular commentator in its pages.
“He noted that athletes, though not directly involved in immigration policy, chose to speak out despite the risks of criticism, suggesting that the impact of ICE operations has created widespread anxiety affecting both individuals and their communities,” it continued.
“Such discussions cannot be easily silenced, as immigration enforcement has become a defining and persistent issue in US domestic politics that is likely to extend into future election cycles,” Lü reportedly added, suggesting America was suffering from “deep divisions” that were “increasingly spilling over to the international stage.”
In contrast, the Global Times celebrated the completely inoffensive presence of the Chinese athletes at the Winter Games, celebrating their supposed “confidence” in the “rich legacy of the Beijing Winter Olympics” while omitting the real physical and political dangers they would face should they condemn their own government.
“As the competition begins, the Chinese public has made a deep impression with its mature viewing attitude,” the Times alleged, adding that several Chinese corporations were adding “Chinese elements” to the Italian-hosted event that also allegedly brought pride to the team.
“Chinese technology is injecting new vitality into the Olympic events with wisdom and warmth,” the Times proclaimed.
The Chinese Communist Party, despite actively engaging in genocide both currently and during the Beijing Winter Olympics, maintains positive relations with the International Olympic Commitee (IOC). China Daily, another government propaganda newspaper, celebrated the positive remarks that IOC President Kirsty Coventry made about dictator Xi Jinping during various sports encounters. Coventry reportedly referred to Xi as an “older brother” and “so warm and so genuine.”
The IOC rejected calls to relocate the 2022 Olympics out of respect for the victims of the Uyghur genocide, despite both the IOC and Olympic broadcasters such as NBC in the United States being targeted by anti-genocide protesters.
Tursunay Ziawudun, a survivor of China’s genocidal concentration camp system in occupied East Turkistan, told Breitbart News in February 2022 that broadcasters and other collaborators with the Olympics were effectively endorsing the genocide of her people.
“What I think is that the Chinese government is committing genocide and crimes against humanity,” she explained. “And broadcasting these Olympics is supporting the Chinese government. Broadcasting these Olympics is supporting that genocide, being complicit in that genocide.”
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