The upcoming Beijing Olympics — now just over two months away — will represent a turning point not just for China, but the world. Will western democracies acquiesce to the increasingly belligerent behaviour of autocrats and kleptocrats, or will they finally take a stand? All signs point towards the former, which should deeply worry anyone concerned with the growing global tide of corruption, censorship, and unapologetic civil and human rights abuses..To be crystal clear, there’s no morally justifiable way for western nations — especially Canada — to participate in the upcoming games. China’s genocide against the Uyghurs, breach of the Hong Kong handover treaty, suspected election meddling, continued political and corporate espionage, and recent foray into hostage diplomacy were all reasons enough to boycott Beijing 2022. Now, the troubling disappearance of women’s tennis star Peng Shuai should seal the deal. That is if Western leaders weren’t so craven..Some background for anyone not already following the Peng Shuai saga: The star athlete’s whereabouts became a concern three weeks ago when she abruptly disappeared from social media and public life after accusing a former high-ranking Chinese government official of sexual assault. Since then, Chinese state media has offered up what can only be described as dubious proofs of wellbeing, including a screenshot of an e-mail supposedly sent by Peng that oddly began, “Hello everyone this is Peng Shuai” and only got more suspect from there. There was also a cursor blinking in the body of the message, suggesting it may have been written by the person who screen-shotted it..Now, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) says he had a video call with Peng on Sunday. On the same day, China Open posted videos of her appearance at a youth tennis tournament. While it’s reassuring that Peng is, in fact, alive, neither of these events offer assurances about her wellbeing or autonomy..Anything offered up by Chinese state media is obviously unreliable, and so is the opinion of the IOC, which has a massive financial interest in Beijing 2022 combined with a dismal track record on human and civil rights. When Peng first disappeared, the IOC advocated for “quiet diplomacy,” which should tell you everything you need to know about where they stand..It’s the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) that’s shown up just about every other sports organization and government on the planet with its willingness to speak out. Not only does it want further proof Peng wasn’t coerced, it demands a full and transparent investigation into her original sexual assault allegations. If this doesn’t happen, the WTA says it will sever its business ties with the country. This is in stark contrast to, say, the NBA, which has consistently chosen profits over morals when it comes to China..U.S. President Joe Biden also called for China to provide “independent, verifiable proof” of Peng’s wellbeing in addition to considering a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming games. Meanwhile in Canada: crickets..There were some hopes that once the two Michaels arrived home safe and sound, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would finally match his government’s China policy to his lofty rhetoric on, well, just about everything else. Always happy to pontificate on social justice matters, particularly ones related to wedge issues, Trudeau is noticeably mum regarding anything China..Asked Thursday about Peng’s disappearance and whether Canada should still participate in the Beijing Olympics, he said, “Over the past many months, we have been having conversations with partners and allies around the world about the Beijing Olympics, about what our approach should be. There are an awful lot of athletes in Canada and around the world who have been training, focused on this very, very much. We’re looking for a way to both be able to see them show their capacities and fulfill all the hard work that they’ve done for many years while continuing to demonstrate our real concerns with the way the Chinese government has behaved.”.Not only did Trudeau refuse to address the possibility of a diplomatic or total boycott, he couldn’t even muster up the courage to demand justice for Peng — or so much as mention her name. Gallingly, he used hard-working Canadian athletes to justify his lack of conviction..The entire rationale for giving Olympic Games to authoritarian nations is the event may open them up to democracy and, under the glare of the international spotlight, encourage them to clean up their acts. But the world already tried this once with China in 2008; it didn’t work. In fact, it emboldened and further legitimized the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), who have only become more aggressive and flagrant about rights abuses since Beijing 2008..Ahead of the 2022 Games, the CCP is already being accused of blocking promised foreign media coverage. Combined with the Peng matter, these incidents show China has not learned any lessons, will not learn any lessons, and is, in fact, a corrupting influence on the rest of the world. Not only will the upcoming games strengthen China’s position, but they will actively weaken ours and serve as globally-broadcasted proof we lack the strength and will to stand behind our moral standards..Given Canada’s intimate experience with China’s blatant disregard for civil and human rights and the rule of law, we should lead the way for a boycott of Beijing 2022. If Trudeau chooses to do nothing, it’ll be a defining moment of his prime ministership as the moment he sold out Canadian values..Sabrina Maddeaux is a Western Standard columnist
