Chinese artist Ai Weiwei: Western boycott of Beijing Olympics is ‘a joke’
15 February 2022 |
3:54 pm
He is the most famous Chinese dissident and one of the best-known contemporary artists in the world. Ai Weiwei was harassed by the Chinese authorities, who bulldozed his Shanghai studio, sent him to jail without charge and drove him out of his country. After the February 2 publication of the French translation of his memoir, "1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows", the artist sat with Eve Jackson to talk about the moment in a Chinese prison when he decided to write his life’s story for his son and what he learned growing up in a labour camp with his persecuted father, the poet Ai Qing.
Related
21 Nov 2021
At 91 years old, actor and director Clint Eastwood is still bringing his quiet intensity to the big screen, in stories that explore the dustier corners of the American experience. Film critic Lisa Nesselson tells us why there is plenty to like – but not necessarily love – in his latest film, "Cry Macho".
16 Nov 2021
"Russia doesn't threaten anyone," the government spokesperson has said in a bid to calm concerns raised by Ukraine, the European Union and the US.
28 Nov 2021
In an interview with FRANCE 24, Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, said it was time to reassess Western policy vis-à-vis Syria and that the approach followed in recent years had failed. “The only end to the crisis is a political solution,” he added. The Jordanian minister also hinted that his country was favourable to bringing Syria back into the Arab League.
9 Dec 2021
Chinese private investment in Uganda is growing while Westerners are losing appetite to put money to work in the country, President Yoweri Museveni told Reuters, pledging to step up efforts to tackle corruption which has made slow progress.
Museveni, in power since 1986 and one of Africa's longest-serving leaders, said Uganda was working to sign a number of deals with Chinese private sector lenders in sectors from agro- and fertilizer-processing, minerals processing or textiles.
16 Dec 2021
The autocratic leaders of Russia and China railed against Western meddling and praised cooperation between their countries. The two will meet in person at the Beijing Winter Olympics in February.
30 Jan
Uyghurs say China's treatment of the Muslim minority group in the remote Xinjiang region amounts to "genocide." They are calling for a boycott of the upcoming Games.
29 Jan
Over 200 NGOs and rights organizations have called for a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. They have raised concerns about atrocities and human rights violations by the Chinese government.
4 Feb
US announces diplomatic boycott of 2022 Beijing Olympics
15 Feb
He is the most famous Chinese dissident and one of the best-known contemporary artists in the world. Ai Weiwei was harassed by the Chinese authorities, who bulldozed his Shanghai studio, sent him to jail without charge and drove him out of his country. After the February 2 publication of the French translation of his memoir, "1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows", the artist sat with Eve Jackson to talk about the moment in a Chinese prison when he decided to write his life’s story for his son and what he learned growing up in a labour camp with his persecuted father, the poet Ai Qing.
18 Feb
Jamaica has a four-man bobsled team in the Olympics for the first time since 1998. Too young to witness the famous 1988 team but big fans of "Cool Runnings," this year's team wants to add to Jamaica's bobsled legacy.
24 Feb
World powers, including the United States and the European Union, have announced their first round of sanctions against Russia over its recognition of two breakaway republics in Ukraine. They include blacklisting certain banks, barring American and European banks from trading Russian government bonds, and targeting individuals with asset freezes and travel bans. FRANCE 24's Business Editor Stephen Carroll looks at how the measures might affect the Russian economy.
6 Mar
As aggressive sanctions hit Russia over the war in Ukraine, a growing number of Western firms are cutting ties with the country. While ordinary Russians stand to be hit hard, the EU has also imposed more targeted measures at business elites. We take a closer look.
Latest
14 mins ago
Tyson Fury calls off his proposed bout with Anthony Joshua, saying his fellow Briton had not signed the contract before Monday's deadline.
1 hour ago
Many German tourists skipped vacations abroad over the past two years — but this changed in the summer of 2022. What does this mean for the domestic tourism industry?
1 hour ago
Giorgia Meloni, whose far-right Brothers of Italy triumphed in Sunday’s general election, has succeeded in channelling both the aspirations of conservative voters and resentment of Mario Draghi’s unelected government, without fully renouncing her party’s neo-fascist roots.
3 hours ago
A ride-hailing app with all-female drivers launched in Nigeria last month, amid reports in local media of assault and harassment of female passengers and drivers.
3 hours ago
Those who work for platforms like Uber Eats and Deliveroo were hailed as heroes during the Covid-19 pandemic, risking their own health to make deliveries to those of us under lockdown. Today, delivery people still work for little pay and under harsh conditions.
3 hours ago
Although Pope Francis has made the fight against paedophilia in the Catholic Church one of his priorities, this call is not always heard. Our correspondents in DR Congo met several men who claim to have been sexually abused by a Slovenian priest in the 1990s in the village of Mooto.