Taiwan Says China-Russia Partnership Timing ‘An Insult’ to Olympic Spirit

A Taiwanese flag flaps in the wind in Taoyuan, Taiwan, on June 30, 2021. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

Taiwan’s government denounced the timing of the China-Russia partnership on the eve of the Beijing Winter Olympics, calling it an “insult“ to the Olympic spirit that should be held “in contempt” by democratic countries, its foreign ministry said on Friday.

Taiwan, a self-ruled island Beijing claims as its own, asserted that the Chinese Communist Party appears to have utilized the Russian summit to expand authoritarianism at a time when the world is focused on the Winter Olympics.

“It not only increases the Taiwanese people’s disgust at and loathing for the Chinese government’s arrogance and bullying, it also clearly shows all the world’s countries the sinister face of the Chinese Communist regime’s aggression, expansionism, and damaging of peace,” the ministry remarked.

China and Russia declared a “no limits” partnership on the opening day of the Winter Olympics, backing each other over standoffs on Ukraine and Taiwan with a promise to enhance collaboration against the West.

The two nations released a joint statement outlining their intention “to counter interference by outside forces in the internal affairs of sovereign countries under any pretext, oppose color revolutions, and will increase cooperation in the aforementioned areas.”

Russia recognizes Taiwan as “an inalienable part of China” and rejects the island’s independence “in any form,” while Beijing backed Russia’s opposition to the enlargement of NATO, according to the joint statement.

The two nations also “strongly condemn” the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom–namely the AUKUS pact–under which the United States and the United Kingdom will help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines.

The United States condemned the China-Russia meeting, saying that Chinese leader Xi Jinping should have used the opportunity to encourage Russia to pursue diplomacy and de-escalation in Ukraine.

Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of State for East Asia, said Friday that the meeting and subsequent joint statement reflected an approach that China and Russia have been pursuing for some time, “namely to move closer together.”

“If Russia further invades Ukraine and China looks the other way, it suggests that China is willing to tolerate or tacitly support Russia’s efforts to coerce Ukraine, even when they embarrass Beijing, harm European security, and risk global peace and economic stability,” Kritenbrink said.

Several Western countries, led by the United States, have announced a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Games in protest of the Chinese regime’s “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang.”

Reuters contributed to this report.