Russia-Ukraine war: Chinese broadcaster 'censors' call for peace at Paralympic Games opening ceremony

A Chinese state broadcaster reportedly censored a major part of a Paralympic official's speech at the opening ceremonies of the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games during which he called for peace amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

According to CNN, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) president Andrew Parsons’ speech was not translated and the volume of his speech was lowered by CCTV when he was on the podium giving remarks on Friday.

Parsons, a Brazilian, said that he was "horrified" with the events taking place in the world at the moment.

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“Tonight, I want to begin with a message of peace. As the leader of an organization with inclusion at its core, where diversity is celebrated and differences embraced, I am horrified at what is taking place in the world right now,” Parsons said, likely in reference to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“The 21st century is a time for dialogue and diplomacy, not war and hate,” he added.

The committee's president went on to explain that the Olympic truce during both the Olympic and Paralympic games is recognised by the U.N. by over 100 countries. This truce, he said, "must be respected."

The US-based news outlet also claimed that the scenes of Parsons cheering for the Ukrainian delegations was censored and replaced with a wide shot of the stadium by the state broadcaster.

This comes after Western intelligence reports claimed that the Chinese officials asked Russia to delay the invasion of Ukraine till the Winter Olympics ends.

It is being claimed that the request was made when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing for the opening ceremony of the Winter Games.

(With inputs from agencies)