China Censors IPC President’s Denunciation of Ukraine Invasion During Winter Paralympics Opening Ceremony

Andrew Parsons, President of IPC, makes a speech during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics at the Beijing National Stadium in Beijing, China, on March 4, 2022. Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

During the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympics in Beijing, China’s state-run broadcaster CCTV censored the remarks of Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), in which he denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and said that he is “horrified at what is taking place in the world right now.”

“Tonight I want—I must—begin with a message of peace,” Parsons said before athletes and spectators at Beijing’s Birds Nest stadium on March 4. “The 21^st century is a time for dialogue and diplomacy, not war and hate.”