How the Olympics boycott saga is a US-China proxy battle for global influence

The US diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics could backfire if only a few other countries follow suit and Beijing spins the narrative to its advantage, writes Ahmed Aboudouh

Protesters against Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics stand in front of the IOC headquarters in Switzerland (EPA-EFE)

The US’s diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics was intended as a firm rebuke of China over its human rights record.

Yet the fact Washington has not directly lobbied for other governments to do the same may be a subtle message to Beijing that it does not want to take things too far and critically damage relations between the two superpowers.

Analysts say many countries are now facing a dilemma over whether to follow the US’s lead and risk alienating China, in a saga that could shift the countries’ global influence.