OPINION:
The diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympic games announced by President Biden in December should be labeled a foreign policy failure. Only nine countries have joined the boycott — far fewer than the 65 countries that supported the boycott of the Moscow games in 1980 after the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. A diplomatic boycott precludes any government officials from attending the games.
The Biden administration announced its boycott to protest China’s genocide against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities. There have been countless stories documenting Uyghur women being forcefully sterilized. Other adult Uyghurs are taken from their families, forced into labor camps or sent to concentration camps.
We have also seen the destruction of democracy in Hong Kong. Before the British government handed over Hong Kong in 1997, China agreed to allow the region considerable political autonomy for 50 years under a framework called “one country, two systems.” China has reneged on that agreement. It has brutally suppressed peaceful demonstrations, punished dissenters and jailed journalists there.
The list of lies, deceit and immoral actions by Beijing is lengthy. But where are our supporters who should be making a statement against this Chinese behavior? Global silence. Many countries do business in China and the fear of retribution takes precedent over doing the morally right thing.
Some allies have not only chosen to not join the boycott, but they have also ridiculed it. French President Emmanuel Macron said it was “insignificant and symbolic.” Czech President Milos Zeman called it a misuse of the “Olympic ideal.” The Austrian foreign minister characterized it as an “artificial politicization” of the games.
There have been no supporters of the U.S. boycott from Africa, Latin America or Southeast Asia.
Countries that have joined in the boycott are Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Belgium, Japan, Denmark, Lithuania and Estonia.
The boycott is clearly a diplomatic and moral failure. The U.S. has lost its status in the world as a trustworthy friend and ally.
Former President Donald Trump certainly did little to endear our country to the world with his name-calling and acerbic tongue. In fact, Mr. Macron said in 2019, with Mr. Trump in office, that the U.S. was becoming a less reliable ally. But Mr. Biden has solidified the lack of trust in our portfolio.
Two weeks after taking office in 2021, he gave his first foreign policy speech. He said, “America is back. … The United States will not live by the example of our power but by the power of our example. … American’s alliances are our greatest asset and leading with diplomacy means standing together shoulder-to-shoulder with our allies and key partners once again.”
Seven months later the debacle of Afghanistan occurred. What we saw demonstrated was the ineptitude of a country that once prided itself on its relationships and respect in the world. The chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan shocked and angered U.S. allies.
NATO allies fully expected the withdrawal — but after American consultation with its partners. Mr. Biden, however, chose not to hold any discussions with NATO. The botched withdrawal was a slap in the face to our friends and allies, countries that had sent their young men to fight in that war at the behest of the U.S. 20 years ago.
A German political leader called the withdrawal “the biggest debacle that NATO has suffered since its founding.”
Other foreign policy gaffes have characterized this administration. Last December, the U.S. chaired the Summit for Democracy. Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were invited; seven of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were not. This included Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. Why were they excluded when we need to build alliances in the Pacific region to counter China?
So is it any wonder we were “stiffed” with our diplomatic boycott of the Chinese games? We clearly have work to do if we are to regain our status as a respected world leader. To do so we must quickly shed our reputation as being unreliable and regain the trust of our friends and allies. Otherwise, other countries will determine the direction they want to go — and it probably will not be with us.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis, President John F. Kennedy sent his secretary of state, Dean Acheson, to France to apprise then President Charles de Gaulle of the situation. Acheson offered to show classified satellite photos of the missiles the Soviets were installing in Cuba. De Gaulle waved the photos away and said, “The word of the president of the United States is good enough for me.”
Oh, how times have changed.
• Tom Jurkowsky is a retired rear admiral in the U.S. Navy. He served on active duty for 31 years. He is the author of “The Secret Sauce for Organizational Success: Communications and Leadership on the Same Page.” He lives in Annapolis.
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