PM Imran Khan to visit China for Winter Olympics opening ceremony

Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit China from February 3-5 for attending the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.

Speaking at a weekly news briefing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmed stated that during the prime minister’s visit, officials from Islamabad and Beijing would discuss the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), among other things.

The presence of Pakistan’s Prime Minister will be significant because some big Western countries have decided to boycott the massive event, which is due to begin on February 4.

The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada have announced a diplomatic boycott of the event, with North Korea being the most recent to withdraw, citing the pandemic.

Despite the fact that athletes from all over the world will travel to compete in the four-yearly tournament, no dignitaries from these western countries are planned to attend.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) executive director Kenneth Roth has also called for a diplomatic boycott, claiming that Beijing is using the next Winter Olympics to “sports wash” and cover up its “horrible” human rights record.

China’s foreign ministry responded on Thursday, saying HRW “has always been prejudiced.”