China's atheletes Fan Suyuan (1st left) and Ling Zhi (2nd rifht) greet their opponents Vicky Persinger (2nd left) and Christopher Plys of US during the curling mixed doubles round robin event of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between China and the US at National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 5, 2022. Photo: Xinhua

The US government will protect American athletes participating in the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing and their freedom of speech, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told CNN on Sunday. She also repeated the US' lies over China's Xinjiang in the CNN program "State of the Union." 

The US has undertaken a political fiasco with its efforts to politicize the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, leaving itself isolated in this regard. Athletes from China, the US and other countries and regions are competing fairly at the Games. The athletes are the protagonists but some US politicians don't want to yield the spotlight - Thomas-Greenfield's remarks are just a malicious provocation with such a mentality. Her irresponsible and erroneous statements on topics including the Beijing 2022 and Xinjiang are completely groundless and politically biased. 

China's Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun rebutted Thomas-Greenfield's unfounded accusations against China. Zhang said that the repeated lies by the US about the "genocide" in Xinjiang have already been debunked by facts. In Team China, there are 20 athletes from nine ethnic minorities, including Uygur and Tibetan. Dinigeer Yilamujiang, a Uygur cross-country skier who lit the Olympic cauldron, is the pride and an excellent representative of the Chinese people. Zhang asked, "On what grounds does the US have such inexplicable anger over this? And why?"

Thomas-Greenfield has always been engaged in an ideological campaign and political correctness while ignoring the facts, Li Haidong, a professor from the Institute of International Relations of China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times. "Her words show that some American political elites have overestimated the US' rumor-mongering capacity and underestimated the ability of people and media in much of the world to discern right from wrong," Li said. 

Years ago, some US athletes might have already been affected by American politicians' false narrative to create accusations out of thin air.

Representing Team USA six years ago at Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Ryan Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist, gave rise to a diplomatic situation that became dubbed Lochtegate. He and three teammates claimed to be robbed at gunpoint and later charged with falsely reporting a crime as his tall tale was exposed. The four were once barred from leaving Brazil.

Thomas-Greenfield has apparently forgotten this embarrassment to Team USA. She brazenly clamored to "protect" American athletes. A US State Department official previously told CNN that the department "has about two dozen diplomatic security agents in Beijing to provide protections for the US athletes."

Nevertheless, though, why should normal athletes worry about their safety? Is there a serious COVID-19 epidemic in Beijing? Is China plagued by gun violence? No. On the contrary, what should US athletes be concerned about is how to avoid being manipulated by American politicians and turned into sacrificial lambs of US politics. 

Li believes those so-called diplomatic security agents are actually monitoring American athletes. 

"What can two dozen agents protect? Not to mention that China is a much safer place than the US. It is a typical American-style disgusting political operation to sell the impression that China is unsafe," Li noted. 

Shortly before the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Games, the FBI warned athletes against the use of personal mobile phones in China. However, athletes from across the world shared with fans their happiness through mobile phones during the opening ceremony, and many athletes have also been posting their comfort and amazing stay in the Olympic Village on their social media accounts. 

From this perspective, maybe what US political elites worry about is not alleged "malware, data theft and installation of 'tracking tools' on mobile devices" as in a BBC report, but the scenario where people around the world will know through the athletes' cameras what China is really like. They don't want people to realize the fact that their portrayal of China is all lies trying to mislead the public. 

"The US' long-term smear campaign has made some Americans feel it is unsafe to be in China. But if they really visit China and spend some time here, they can see how despicable the lies their government makes up about China are," Li said. 

Thomas-Greenfield's sabotaging and discrediting of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games damage the interests of athletes from all over the world, including American athletes, and the Olympic Movement. It runs counter to the Olympic spirit and the mainstream public opinion of the international community. It is hoped the US government stops instigating the athletes and lets them enjoy this major sports gathering that comes every four years.