The Chinese may laugh at the boycott. They are building the stadium behind the stadium. “Gem”

What do football arenas in Senegal (1992), Burkina Faso (1998), Mali (2002), Ghana (2008), Angola (2010), Gabon (2012, 2017), Guinea Rwnikowa (2015)? All the major stadiums of these tournaments were built with the help of the Chinese – thanks to the donations of the Chinese government, thanks to the work of Chinese construction companies and architects.

To this list, we need to add Koci Kociowa (Sonia Coast) (2023) and Guine (2025) – this is where the Chiczyca have built or will soon build new stadiums for the African Nations Cup.

The jewel of the Catonia Coast, a Chinese gift

Even a pandemic will not stop this great construction project. In October 2020, one of the most modern stadiums in Africa, the “jewel of the Kitten Sonia Coast”, was completed. Le Stade Olympique d’Ebimpé in Abidan was designed and built by Chinese companies and was inaugurated by a delegation from your center.

This time, President Xi Jinping, who likes to participate in such ceremonies, was absent. Three years ago, on a tour of Africa, he charmingly handed over to Senegalese President Macky Sall the “golden key” of the Chicago-built Senegalese Wrestling Arena. This is the sport in which the champion was “Bombardier”, Serigne Ousmane Dia – the last opponent of Mariusz Pudzianowski.

As for the upcoming African Nations Cup tournament in January in Cameroon, the Chiczyca built two new stadiums there – in Limbe and Bafoussam. They also lent $ 40 million to Cameroon authorities on preferential terms.

In Africa, Chiczyca built arenas for the African Games in Congo (2015), Mozambique (2011) and Kenya (1987).

Stadiums as gifts for breaking up with Taiwan

But generosity to China’s stadium investments is not limited to Africa. When the 2007 Cricket World Cup was to be held in the West Indies, the former Caribbean colonies of Great Britain, they took the opportunity to become closer to the countries of the region. In the capital of Granada, St. George’s built a stadium for 16 thousand. viewers for $ 40 million. The Chitsians not only provided the money themselves, but also provided 300 workers for the construction. 55 million dollars will be given to the PRC government for the stadium in Antigua and Barbuda, and 35 million will be borrowed by Jamaica.

Granada was given the stadium as a gift for breaking diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 2005. A similar gift was also given to Costa Rica. The San Jose National Stadium was the first modern stadium in Central America. The Chitscy spent $ 100 million on it, a decision they made when Costa Rica broke off diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 2007. The early general secretary of the Communist Party of China, Hu Jintao, arrived at the inauguration of the facility in 2011.

It can be expected that we will see more stadium investments soon in Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua – these countries have also cut off diplomatic relations with Taiwan in recent days, which China considers to be its rebel province.

The stadiums of Chicago diplomacy began in 1958.

All of this is just a small piece of China’s stadium diplomacy that the world’s most populous government has been running for decades. It started in 1958, when the Chiczyca built a stadium in the Mongolian capital, Uan Bator. In recent years – along with the growing wealth of the country – the momentum of China’s stadium investments has clearly grown. Most of the so-called She was gifted to the Third World in this way. And all these stadiums and preferential credits expand our spheres of influence.

Today, no great football tournament can do without the Americans. Even in Europe. Of the twelve UEFA partners and sponsors of Euro 2020. “Covid-19, geopolitics did not stop Chinese brands from global expansion” – triumphantly wrote “Global Times”, a newspaper published under the patronage of the Communist Party of China.

During the World Cup in Qatar, these Chinese companies will be in a prominent position. Out of ten sponsors and partners there are three.

The Chinese of dense networks of dependencies enveloped the whole sport. The diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics, which was announced, among others, by The United States, Australia and Canada has only symbolic significance. Neither the IOC, nor FIFA, nor UEFA, nor any other major sports organization will raise the issue of human rights in China. The fact that there will be no tennis tournaments under her aegis in China until the disappearance is clarified is only an exception. Besides, the WTA is so much easier because it is not a sports federation, but an enterprise based on business rules, and the tournaments in China will disappear during the pandemic and the organization has dealt with it.

But it’s not just about money. If you look at the size of China’s sports diplomacy, for one word, a coalition of friends gifted with beautiful stadiums would chase any president of the world federation who would endanger the Chinese. And sport plays an important role in their politics. That is why they are already organizing the second Olympic Games after a break of 14 years. The next goal is to organize a football World Cup.

And how expensive it is to expose the Americans and the Premier League. Both major leagues lost their chances of earning hundreds of millions of dollars in China. The Americans treated the Houston Rockets manager Daryl Morey, who supported the protests in Hong Kong, too lightly. .