Photo: Li Hao/GT

 
When China is about to present an unforgettable, even potentially one of the best Winter Olympic Games ever seen, to the globe, the Western world, especially the US, finds nowhere to place their sense of loss and depression, except for monologuing time and again on its outdated anti-China clichés. At the moment, certain US media outlets are slandering not only China, but also global leaders attending the opening ceremony. 

On Thursday local time, the CNN clamored that the "Olympic guest list heavy on strongmen and autocrats," arguing "around half of those dignitaries hail from authoritarian countries with several others listed as 'hybrid regime.'" When The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) covered the guest list on the same day, it also quoted a Western observer as claiming that Chinese foreign policy in the last two years "has managed to get only autocracies and countries dependent on China to provide it recognition."

Once again, the media outlets are displaying they are at their wits end. They have no alternative but turning to the tricks as old as hills - attacking its rival by calling it autocracy or authoritarian - to divide the world. 

There has never been such classification when it comes to the Olympic spirit, Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. The Games itself is a stage to show the unity of mankind. Even if some parts of the world are in a state of war, countries with a hostile mentality could be able to show their willingness to be united. "This is the aim of the Olympic Games - whatever divergences countries are confronting, they can always participate in a fair game in the Olympic arena," Lü added.

Apparently this is not the case for US media like CNN, who claim that "the attendance of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman… and others, will send out an image not just of China's increasing distance from the West, but of an emerging bloc of Beijing-friendly authoritarian leaders."

Whoever comes to attend or support the Games have fair and square reasons. They are showing the unity exactly in the spirit of the Olympic Games. It is the US which has been making undignified moves - plotting a "diplomatic boycott" campaign behind the scene. 

How could the CNN or WSJ possible feel being entitled to pin labels on other countries or classify them? Particularly as the US continues to perform so poorly both domestically and on the international stage. It is accusing China of being a so-called authoritarian country only to obscure China's success and cover US own failures. The louder their voices are, the more it makes people feel how pathetic the US is. 

As usual, Western media outlets that are busy throwing mud on China and its guests for the Games simply equate "democracy" with the West and label almost all non-Western countries as "authoritarian." But is their version of democracy really something to be proud of? Is the world really expecting leaders of those democratic countries to attend the opening ceremony? No, the world expects them to rein in the surging epidemic on their own soil, cure their crumbling economy and other governance issues, which are all in a mess.

These US white-leftist media outlets did not come up with their stories over the guest list based on information asymmetry or misunderstanding, but based on stereotypes, Shen Yi, a professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs of Fudan University, told Global Times. They keep their eyes closed, choreographing everything about China through a single lens. And recently, all they need to do is add something new about the Olympic Games in their long-settled themes. 

According to Shen, it is getting increasingly difficult for China to communicate with the West. This is not because China rejects the West, but because Western countries refuse to open their eyes and see the reality. They insists on living in an illusion. How could we communicate with anyone who refuse to wake up?

Carlos Martinez, co-founder of No Cold War campaign, tweeted, "Just a little bit ironic that the US, Britain, Canada and Australia are carrying out a 'diplomatic boycott' of the Beijing Winter Olympics ostensibly due to China's mistreatment of Uyghur Muslims, and yet not a single Muslim-majority country is supporting this boycott." 

Not to mention quite a few leaders of Muslim-majority countries have come to attend the ceremony. This may have to some extent mirrored a reality the US and some Western countries refuse to see. 

The clichés of the CNN and the WSJ are no longer worth refuting. Even Americans don't think much of CNN anymore, Shen noted. 

People can already see from media reports that Beijing Winter Olympics has surprised many foreigners. "From epidemic prevention and control, management, equipment, to logistics, perhaps no other country can accomplish what China has done for a global event, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is believed this game will be the best Winter Olympics ever," Lü said. 

While in the US, the COVID-19 death toll is nearing 900,000 as of press time, soaring toward a staggering one million. As time goes by, when China has successfully hosted the Winter Olympic Games, and when COVID-19 death exceeds one million in the US, reporting by CNN and the WSJ will be dug out and pinned on the pillar of shame, Shen said.