Human rights?! Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Out of ideological bias and based on lies and rumors, Canada joined a small cohort of the West to engage in political manipulation in a bid to disrupt the smooth operation of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, and such conduct won't win public support and is doomed to failure, a spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in Canada said Thursday morning. 

China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition and has lodged solemn representations with Canada after it joined the US, the UK and Australia for "diplomatic boycott" of the Games citing human rights issues, the spokesperson said.

Canada's hyping of a "diplomatic boycott" of the Beijing Winter Olympics without being invited to the event is purely a political show, the embassy said.

The embassy urged Canada to immediately stop its wrong words and deeds that politicize sports and disrupt and sabotage the Beijing Winter Olympics. Otherwise, it will only humiliate itself.

Canada has picked sides opposite of the truth, the embassy pointed out, noting that the Chinese people are in the best position to say how China's human rights situation is. At present, China's human rights situation is at its best in history, which cannot be denied by anyone without prejudice, it stressed.

However, the Canadian government committed heinous crimes against the indigenous people. To this day, systematic racism is still a problem in Canada, the embassy revealed, noting that Canada is in no position to be a "teacher" on the human rights issues or point fingers at China.

Canada stands against the Olympic spirit. The embassy said that having hosted both the winter and summer Olympics, Canada should know the essence of the Olympic spirit. What Canada has done seriously runs counter to the principle of "political neutrality in sports" enshrined in the Olympic Charter, runs counter to the Olympic motto of "greater unity" and is a typical example of politicizing sports.

Canada stands against the trend of the times. The embassy noted that in the 21st century, peace, development and win-win cooperation are the trend of our times and the aspiration of the international community. Some Western countries, such as Canada, cling to the Cold War mentality and willfully interfere in other countries' internal affairs in the name of human rights, attempting to disrupt and contain their development process. This is firmly opposed not only by the Chinese people, but also by all peace-loving people in the world who uphold justice, the embassy said.

The UK and Australian governments also announced earlier that they will not send officials to attend the Games. Both the Chinese embassies in the UK and Australia condemned such decisions immediately.

The embassy in the UK also said that ministers or government officials from the UK were not invited to attend the Games.

Global Times