China Sides With Russia in Resolute Stance Against Sports Politicization, Says Ambassador

Zhang Hanhui stressed that China would maintain close contacts with Russia regarding its cooperation in international organizations

Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui Sergei Bobylev/TASS

© Sergei Bobylev/TASS

MOSCOW, April 22. /TASS/. China resolutely opposes any discrimination and politicization of sports and jointly with Russia will stand shouldering the true spirits of sports, as well as supporting each other, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said on Friday.

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin held a meeting on Friday with ambassadors to Russia representing member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which is comprised of China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

"We resolutely oppose the politicization of sports, against the discrimination and outside pressure," Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said at a meeting with Matytsin.

"Jointly with Russia, we will resort to measures to protect the true spirit of sports and Olympics, and will be certainly supporting each other based on the spirit of our cooperation on the international arena," he noted.

The Chinese ambassador stressed that China would maintain close contacts with Russia regarding its cooperation in international organizations. He also pointed out to the necessity of strengthening partnership relations with the SCO framework.

According to him, the international organization (SCO) has already provided for all of the necessary conditions of this cooperation.

"China is ready to take an active part in various events and we are ready to channel our efforts in joint collaboration with all states, which are members of the SCO, in order to strengthen and develop further our sports cooperation," he said.

"Within the framework of the SCO, we must demonstrate the solidarity; display our commonly-shared positions to resist the politicization of sports, and will keep standing jointly against any forms of discrimination and outside pressure," Zhang Hanhui added.

On February 28, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments referring to a special military operation in Ukraine.

Following the IOC recommendations in late February, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.