Attempting to crack down on dissent ahead of the Winter Olympics, China has reportedly restricted access to messaging and social media apps of several human rights activists and some academics.

News agency AFP spoke to some individuals who had restricted access to their WeChat messaging app accounts in recent weeks.

Eight people claimed that since early December they had been unable to use their accounts entirely and were forced to reregister.

“This storm of shuttering WeChat accounts is too strong and unprecedented,” AFP quoted veteran journalist Gao Yu, whose account had features like group chat messaging permanently disabled for the first time on December 20.

Beijing-based writer Zhang Yihe said her WeChat group chat and Moments functions —similar to Facebook's Wall or Instagram Stories —were restricted on January 8.

Tsinghua University sociology professor Guo Yuhua confirmed her account was permanently blocked the same day, while prominent legal scholar He Weifang said he encountered the same on January 9.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-lunar-new-year-and-winter-olympics-china-vows-to-purge-internet-447764" hreflang="en">Ahead of Lunar New Year and Winter Olympics, China vows to 'purge' internet</a>

An expert said that the Chinese government wants to ensure that people don’t point out flaws in a “perfect Winter Olympic Games”.

The government now wants to make sure that people don't cross the line online to poke the facade of a perfect Winter Olympic Games,” Yaqiu Wang, senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch, told AFP.

The latest restrictions came as the Chinese authorities detained two prominent human-rights activists.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/the-year-china-went-rogue-on-itself-will-crackdowns-hamper-economic-growth-439871" hreflang="en">The year China went rogue on itself: Will crackdowns hamper economic growth?</a>

Free-speech advocate Yang Maodong was formally detained in the southern city of Guangzhou on suspicion of inciting subversion on January 12, two days after his wife died of cancer in the US, the Wall Street Journal reported quoting his sister.

Yang, who writes under the pen name Guo Feixiong, has been blocked from leaving China for the past year.

This is not the first time that China has been clamping down on dissidents ahead of a major event.

In the 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing pressured dissidents and activists, though space remained for some critics.

(With inputs from agencies)

Attempting to crack down on dissent ahead of the Winter Olympics, China has reportedly restricted access to messaging and social media apps of several human rights activists and some academics.

Attempting to crack down on dissent ahead of the Winter Olympics, China has reportedly restricted access to messaging and social media apps of several human rights activists and some academics. News agency AFP spoke to some individuals who had restricted access to their WeChat messaging app accounts in recent weeks. Eight people claimed that since early December they had been unable to use their accounts entirely and were forced to reregister. “This storm of shuttering WeChat accounts is too strong and unprecedented,” AFP quoted veteran journalist Gao Yu, whose account had features like group chat messaging permanently disabled for the first time on December 20. Beijing-based writer Zhang Yihe said her WeChat group chat and Moments functions —similar to Facebook's Wall or Instagram Stories —were restricted on January 8. Tsinghua University sociology professor Guo Yuhua confirmed her account was permanently blocked the same day, while prominent legal scholar He Weifang said he encountered the same on January 9. Also read | Ahead of Lunar New Year and Winter Olympics, China vows to 'purge' internet An expert said that the Chinese government wants to ensure that people don’t point out flaws in a “perfect Winter Olympic Games”. The government now wants to make sure that people don't cross the line online to poke the facade of a perfect Winter Olympic Games,” Yaqiu Wang, senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch, told AFP. The latest restrictions came as the Chinese authorities detained two prominent human-rights activists. Also read | The year China went rogue on itself: Will crackdowns hamper economic growth? Free-speech advocate Yang Maodong was formally detained in the southern city of Guangzhou on suspicion of inciting subversion on January 12, two days after his wife died of cancer in the US, the Wall Street Journal reported quoting his sister. Yang, who writes under the pen name Guo Feixiong, has been blocked from leaving China for the past year. This is not the first time that China has been clamping down on dissidents ahead of a major event. In the 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing pressured dissidents and activists, though space remained for some critics. (With inputs from agencies)

China restricts social media access of dissidents, activists ahead of Winter Olympics 2022

France&nbsp;will not join a diplomatic boycott by other Western countries of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing, Education and Sports Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said Thursday.

Asked about a boycott announced by the United States, Australia, Britain and Canada, Blanquer told RMC radio and BFM television that&nbsp;France&nbsp;"won't do it".&nbsp;

"We need to be careful about the link between sports and politics," Blanquer said during the interview.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canada-announces-diplomatic-boycott-of-beijing-winter-olympics-citing-human-rights-violations-by-china-435284">Canada announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics citing human rights violations by China</a>

"Sports is a world apart that needs to be protected from political interference. If not, things can get out of control and it could end up killing all of the competitions."

He said that&nbsp;France&nbsp;would carry on condemning human rights violations in China.&nbsp;

He will not travel to the Chinese capital, he said, but junior sports minister Roxana Maracineanu will represent the French government.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said he was still seeking a common EU stance on the issue when asked about a possible boycott during a press conference at around the same time.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-embassy-in-australia-reacts-to-diplomatic-boycott-of-winter-olympics-mountains-cant-stop-the-river-435253">Chinese Embassy in Australia reacts to diplomatic boycott of Winter Olympics: 'Mountains can't stop the river'</a>

"When it comes to the issue of the diplomatic boycott, this question will be dealt with at the European level," he told journalists.&nbsp;

China warned Western nations on Thursday they would "pay the price" for a diplomatic boycott.

Washington announced its boycott earlier in the week, saying it was prompted by widespread rights abuses by China and what it sees as a "genocide" against the Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang.

France will not join a diplomatic boycott by other Western countries of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing, Education and Sports Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said Thursday.

France will not join a diplomatic boycott by other Western countries of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing, Education and Sports Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said Thursday. Asked about a boycott announced by the United States, Australia, Britain and Canada, Blanquer told RMC radio and BFM television that France "won't do it". "We need to be careful about the link between sports and politics," Blanquer said during the interview. ALSO READ: Canada announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics citing human rights violations by China "Sports is a world apart that needs to be protected from political interference. If not, things can get out of control and it could end up killing all of the competitions." He said that France would carry on condemning human rights violations in China. He will not travel to the Chinese capital, he said, but junior sports minister Roxana Maracineanu will represent the French government. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said he was still seeking a common EU stance on the issue when asked about a possible boycott during a press conference at around the same time. ALSO READ | Chinese Embassy in Australia reacts to diplomatic boycott of Winter Olympics: 'Mountains can't stop the river' "When it comes to the issue of the diplomatic boycott, this question will be dealt with at the European level," he told journalists. China warned Western nations on Thursday they would "pay the price" for a diplomatic boycott. Washington announced its boycott earlier in the week, saying it was prompted by widespread rights abuses by China and what it sees as a "genocide" against the Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang.

France minister confirms country will not join boycott of Beijing Olympics

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday called for a US diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, criticising China for human rights abuses and saying global leaders, who attend would lose their moral authority.&nbsp;

US lawmakers have been increasingly vocal about an Olympic boycott or venue change, and have lashed out at American corporations, arguing their silence about what the State Department has deemed a genocide of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China was abetting the Chinese government.&nbsp;

Pelosi, a Democrat, told a bipartisan congressional hearing on the issue that heads of state around the world should shun the games, scheduled for February. &nbsp;

"What I propose, and join those who are proposing, is a diplomatic boycott," Pelosi said, in which "lead countries of the world withhold their attendance at the Olympics."&nbsp;

"Let's not honor the Chinese government by having heads of state go to China," she added.&nbsp;

"For heads of state to go to China in light of a genocide that is ongoing, while you're sitting there in your seat, really begs the question, what moral authority do you have to speak again about human rights any place in the world?" she said.&nbsp;

An independent United Nations panel said in 2018 it had received credible reports that at least one million Uyghurs and other Muslims had been held in camps in China's Xinjiang region. Beijing describes them as vocational training centers to stamp out extremism, and strongly rejects accusations of abuse and genocide.&nbsp;

Chinese Embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said that US attempts to interfere in China's domestic affairs over the Olympics were doomed to fail.&nbsp;

"I wonder what makes some US politicians think they actually have the so-called 'moral authority'? On human rights issues, they are in no position, either historically or currently, to make wanton groundless criticism against China," Liu said. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday called for a US diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, criticising China for human rights abuses and saying global leaders, who attend would lose their moral authority.

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday called for a US diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, criticising China for human rights abuses and saying global leaders, who attend would lose their moral authority. US lawmakers have been increasingly vocal about an Olympic boycott or venue change, and have lashed out at American corporations, arguing their silence about what the State Department has deemed a genocide of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China was abetting the Chinese government. Pelosi, a Democrat, told a bipartisan congressional hearing on the issue that heads of state around the world should shun the games, scheduled for February. "What I propose, and join those who are proposing, is a diplomatic boycott," Pelosi said, in which "lead countries of the world withhold their attendance at the Olympics." "Let's not honor the Chinese government by having heads of state go to China," she added. "For heads of state to go to China in light of a genocide that is ongoing, while you're sitting there in your seat, really begs the question, what moral authority do you have to speak again about human rights any place in the world?" she said. An independent United Nations panel said in 2018 it had received credible reports that at least one million Uyghurs and other Muslims had been held in camps in China's Xinjiang region. Beijing describes them as vocational training centers to stamp out extremism, and strongly rejects accusations of abuse and genocide. Chinese Embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said that US attempts to interfere in China's domestic affairs over the Olympics were doomed to fail. "I wonder what makes some US politicians think they actually have the so-called 'moral authority'? On human rights issues, they are in no position, either historically or currently, to make wanton groundless criticism against China," Liu said. (With inputs from agencies)

Pelosi calls for US, world leaders to boycott China's 2022 Olympics 

From France & the European Union to the United Nations & Human rights bodies, the world is raising questions on China's handling of Uighur Muslims. As the world looks for ways to punish China, WION's Palki Sharma says cancelling the 2022 Beijing Olympics could be a good start.

Gravitas: Should 2022 Winter Olympics be relocated?

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China restricts social media access of dissidents, activists ahead of Winter Olympics 2022

France minister confirms country will not join boycott of Beijing Olympics

Pelosi calls for US, world leaders to boycott China's 2022 Olympics

Gravitas: Should 2022 Winter Olympics be relocated?