Heritage President on 2022 Olympics: We Must End Our Addiction to the Chinese Communist Party

Heritage President on 2022 Olympics: We Must End Our Addiction to the Chinese Communist Party

Feb 4, 2022 4 min read

WASHINGTON—Ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, The Heritage Foundation is working on multiple fronts to shed light on the existential threat of our time—the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)—and its abuses and aggression on the world stage.

Kevin Roberts, president of The Heritage Foundation, said of these efforts: 

“China should never have been selected to host the 2022 Olympics. That the 2022 Winter Olympics will go on in Beijing shows that our elites are simply afraid to stand up to the CCP, for fear of losing money and influence. Rest assured, The Heritage Foundation is unafraid to speak the truth about the CCP’s campaign of genocide, coronavirus cover-up, and aggression in the Indo-Pacific that threatens not only our interests, but those of our allies and partners. We will not stop until the CCP is held accountable.” 

During the Olympics, Heritage will run an advertising campaign on Fox News Go and other digital platforms. The ad emphasizes the CCP’s destructive behavior, on everything from covering up its role in unleashing the COVID-19 pandemic to its bullying of U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific. It also highlights Heritage’s efforts to “expose the dangers China poses to American interests, national security, and human rights."

Earlier this year, Heritage also launched a six-part video series highlighting the existential threat China poses to America and stories of those who have escaped the CCP’s tyranny and oppression. The first three videos, already released, feature Heritage Foundation experts. The second set of videos will air throughout the Olympics and will tell stories of those who have experienced the regime’s abuses. 

  • Senior Policy Analyst Olivia Enos on China’s human rights abuses  

  • Nury Turkel, vice chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, on the plight of the Uyghurs 

  • Joey Siu, policy adviser to Hong Kong Watch, on China’s control over Hong Kong 

  • Ruiting Ren, a persecuted Chinese Christian, on the plight of Chinese Christians 

During a Wednesday episode of “Heritage Explains: Live,” Roberts laid out policy prescriptions to confront the CCP and end the threat it poses to the U.S. and our interests. He also drew attention to current legislation in Congress—the so-called America COMPETES Act—that would undermine America’s ability to compete with China. Roberts said, “The single greatest thing we have to fix is our addiction to the Chinese Communist Party. It is unparalleled.”  

Also this week, Heritage hosted Enes Kanter Freedom of the Boston Celtics and Rep. Michael McCaul for a discussion on China’s abysmal human rights record and the cost of turning a blind eye to its abuses. Calling on Olympians to protest, Kanter Freedom said, “All the athletes out there need to say, ‘Enough is enough.’ This is bigger than sports.” 

In a recent Forbes op-ed, Enos gave Americans ideas on how to hold Beijing accountable during the Olympics and discussed the administration’s ‘too little, too late’ diplomatic boycott:

“The administration missed an opportunity. It had become politically unfeasible for U.S. government representatives to attend the Olympic Games. By the time a decision was made, it was simply a recognition of reality. To make any difference at this point, the diplomatic boycott must be followed up with an effort to make the CCP feel the heat from the international community in the lead-up to and during the Games.” 

Find more Heritage resources on countering China here.

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