Spoilsport China

Chinese high-handedness has cast a shadow on the Hangzhou Asian Games, with three Indian wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh missing out due to denial of accreditation. Even though the players’ participation in the games had been approved by the Asian Games Organising Committee, they did not get their accreditation cards, which double up as visas for entering China. Taking exception to China’s ‘discriminatory’ action and stating that it went against the Olympic Charter, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur cancelled his visit to Hangzhou last week. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning’s statement — ‘The Chinese government has never recognised so-called Arunachal. The area of Zangnan is Chinese territory’ — leaves no room for doubt that geopolitical considerations are taking precedence at Asia’s premier sporting event.

This is nothing but a fresh provocation by Beijing. In July, the Indian wushu team had not travelled to the Chinese city of Chengdu for the World University Games after these three athletes were issued stapled visas, not stamped ones. Last month, China’s Ministry of Natural Resources released the country’s ‘2023 edition of the standard map’, which showed the entire Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of its territory.

In its first official reaction to the G20 summit recently hosted by India, China said the New Delhi Declaration reaffirmed that the G20 was not a forum to resolve geopolitical and security issues. However, Beijing has no qualms about misusing the Asian Games arena to highlight a geopolitical issue. Even though the Olympic Council of Asia and the Asian Games organisers are reportedly looking into the accreditation row, irreparable damage has already been done. The unfair treatment meted out to the wushu trio has shown once again how insincere are China’s exhortations to India for strengthening bilateral ties.