France does not boycott the Beijing Olympics

Blanquer said France will send a representative from its government to China during the Olympics. This means that there will be no diplomatic boycott of the Games from the French side.

This does not follow the same path as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Sport is a world of its own that must be protected from political interference. Otherwise, competition could end up, Blanquer tells French news channel BFM TV about the decision.

Calls for a decision by the European Union

When French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian receives questions on this topic in parallel, he wants to see EU countries take a common position on the issue.

– When it comes to diplomatic boycotts, this issue will be addressed at the European level, he says.

France will host the next Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.

In the past, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom have announced that they have diplomatically boycotted the Olympic Games. Which prompted China to come out and warn that this will lead to consequences.

“Using the Olympic platform for political games is unpopular and isolates themselves, and they will inevitably have to pay for their mistakes,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Thursday.

The International Olympic Committee declared, that it respects the political decisions of countries.

Russian Committee: Putin’s presence is a motive

According to the Russian Olympic Committee, the diplomatic boycott is “useless”.

From a mathematical perspective, these actions are pointless. We really hope it doesn’t overshadow the Games,” says Stanislav Pozdinakov, head of the committee.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has long been one of those in power who has said he will travel to China for the Olympics.

“It will be another motivating factor for all members of the IOC team,” Pozdinakov said.