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The National Olympic Committee of China plans to provide vaccine doses for participants in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo this summer and in Beijing in winter 2022.
This was announced by Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, on Thursday on the second day of the IOC session.
"The IOC received a kind offer from the Chinese Olympic Committee," said Bach.
The NOK of China is ready to provide these additional doses with the IOC in two ways.
Either through cooperation with international partners or directly in the numerous countries in which agreements on Chinese vaccines would exist.
"This is good news," said Kirsty Coventry, 37, chairwoman of the IOC Athletes' Commission, about the Chinese initiative.
"The IOC will pay for these additional doses of vaccine for the Olympic and Paralympic teams," said Bach, who was confirmed in office on Wednesday for another four years.
"For each of these additional doses, the IOC will also pay for two more doses that can be made available to the population in these countries." According to Bach, "a considerable number" of Olympic starters have already been vaccinated.
Bach defends Beijing Winter Games in 2022
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Bach defends the award of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games to Beijing, which has come under increasing criticism.
It was the games of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), not those of the Chinese government, said the 67-year-old on ARD.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will "be allowed to say exactly one sentence that is prescribed by us" during the opening ceremony.
"Chinese government poses a global threat to human rights"
The human rights organization Human Rights Watch sees the Chinese government as a "global threat" to human rights.
"Beijing has long suppressed critics of the regime in its own country," said Kenneth Roth, head of the human rights organization, in New York.
Source: WELT / Christoph Hipp
Most recently, an alliance of 180 international human rights groups and representatives of minorities in China asked the international community not to take part in the games.
The background to this is human rights violations, the persecution of Uyghurs and Tibetans, and China's threats against Taiwan.
“The global sporting rules of sport and the IOC apply to the Olympic Games.
And with this we want to set an example of how a world can function without discrimination, ”said Bach.
The IOC is “no world government that can solve problems here, that no UN General Assembly, no Security Council solves, no president of this world.
We cannot impose our rules on a sovereign state outside of the core of the Olympic Games.
Politicians are in demand there, and politicians must use their opportunities there. "
"Boycotts do not bring any improvements"
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The 2022 Winter Games were awarded to Beijing in 2015.
At the 2008 Summer Games, when government action and human rights violations were also major issues, Bach was IOC Vice President.
In the ARD “Tagesthemen” he repeated his point of view that a boycott was the “wrong answer to such questions”.
History has shown that, said the former Olympic fencer.
He himself was affected by the boycott of numerous Western nations at the Summer Games in Moscow in 1980.
“They don't bring any improvements,” says Bach.
The IOC is addressing the questions “within our area of responsibility”.
This includes that the IOC charter, in which the observance of human rights is anchored, must be complied with during the games.
Armin Laschet sharply criticizes the IOC and DOSB
The Rhein Ruhr City initiative is sticking to its plans for an Olympic bid in 2032, and the 2036 games are also conceivable. NRW boss Armin Laschet has sharply criticized the IOC and the DOSB.
Source: SID