A significant number of US senators, cutting across party lines, have expressed their solidarity with India against Chinese aggression along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The US State Department has also reiterated its commitment to stand with India in the face of Chinese military aggressions as it criticized Beijing for selecting a PLA officer Qi Fabao, who was part of the deadly 2020 Galwan clashes, as one of the torchbearers of the upcoming Winter Olympics 2022.
“When it comes to the India-China border situation, we continue to support direct dialogue and a peaceful resolution of the disputes… We have previously voiced our concerns on Beijing's pattern of ongoing attempts to intimidate its neighbours. As we always do, we stand with friends. We stand with partners and allies to advance our shared prosperity, security and values in the Indo-Pacific,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Thursday.
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There seems to be a bipartisan support in US politics for India against Chinese aggressions as recently a Republican Party senator and a member of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jim Risch also criticized China for choosing Fabao as one of the torch-bearers as well as PLA’s treatment of minority Uyghur Muslims. “It's shameful that Beijing chose a torchbearer for the Olympics 2022 who's part of the military command that attacked India in 2020 and is implementing genocide against the Uyghurs. The US will continue to support Uyghur freedoms and the sovereignty of India,” senator Risch tweeted.
Another US senator Marco Rubio voiced his support for Indian sovereignty. “Another outrageous example of the #CCP’s flagrant politicization of #Beijing2022. Their decision to choose a soldier who participated in a 2020 ambush against Indian troops as torchbearer is appalling & deliberately provocative. Sen Rubio stands w/ #India,” his official account tweeted.
Meanwhile, five Republican senators, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Mike Braun, Rick Scott, Josh Hawley and Bill Hagerty have introduced “No PLA Loopholes Act” to fix a loophole in “existing laws and limit joint military operations” between the US and PLA.
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Yesterday, India announced that its diplomats in Beijing will not attend the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics as well as national broadcaster DD will not telecast the above mentioned ceremonies. “Consequent to the announcement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) @meaindia, @ddsportschannel will not telecast live the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics being held in Beijing," Shashi Shekhar, CEO of Prasar Bharati tweeted.
The Winter Olympics 2022 have already been mired by political controversies as the U.S., the U.K., Taiwan, Canada, Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, Belgium, Australia and Kosovo have already announced diplomatic boycotts over the Chinese alleged treatment of the Uyghurs. Chinese President Xi Jinping will host more than 30 heads of state for the opening ceremony including Russia President Putin, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
