The Winter Olympics is facing renewed political controversy after a Games official dismissed claims of human rights violations against the Uyghur Muslim population as “lies”, BBC reported.
Beijing Games spokesperson Yan Jiarong also said that Taiwan is part of China, the report said.
While Taiwan is a self-governed democratic state, Beijing sees it as part of its territory.
The International Olympic Committee has said repeatedly that the Games should be free from politics.
Yan made her comments at a daily media briefing on Thursday.
She spoke after IOC spokesman Mark Adams was asked at a news conference about Taiwan’s presence at Sunday’s closing ceremony Sunday.
Following his comments, Yan said: “There is only one China.”
Her statement reiterates China’s stance towards Taiwan, which it claims as its own “sacred” territory. In the past year, China has stepped up pressure to isolate the island from its international allies, the report said.
Later, she intervened when a reporter directed a question to the IOC about material from China’s Xinjiang region being used in clothing.
“The so-called forced labor in Xinjiang is lies made up by deliberate groups,” Yan said.
