The 2022 Winter Olympics began in Beijing on February 4, and will conclude on February 20. More than the competitions and the participating athletes, it’s the politics beyond the sporting arena that has dominated headlines about the event. In protest against several issues connected to China’s human rights record – including the treatment of the Uighur ethnic minority in Xinjiang province and the growing repression in Hong Kong – leading Western nations have carried out a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics. India, too, joined them at the last minute, although for a different reason.
Also read: In China, Olympics fuels winter sports boom
Unfazed by these developments, the Chinese Communist Party is determined to put on a great sporting spectacle. How important is this event for the Chinese Communist Party? What does it hope to gain -- domestically and internationally -- from hosting it?
Guest: Ananth Krishnan, China correspondent, The Hindu
Host : G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu
