China calls US bid to ban athletes from using the digital yuan unfounded

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian criticized American politicians for attempting to ban US athletes from using the digital yuan (e-CNY) at the Beijing Olympics.

The US politicians’ call to reject China’s new digital currency only reflects their ignorance. I suggest they take some time to find out what digital currency is. pic.twitter.com/kEx2qW6IHu

— Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) July 20, 2021

“The call by American politicians to renounce the use of China’s new digital currency merely reflects their ignorance. I suggest they spend some time understanding what a digital currency is,” Zhao Lijian wrote.

Earlier, Republican senators Marsha Blackburn, Cynthia Lummis and Roger Wicker sent a letter to US Olympic Committee Chair Susanne Lyons demanding a ban on athletes using e-CNY.

They argue that the digital yuan could be used to surveil PRC citizens and visitors to the country, including after their return home. The senators also fear its deployment in international trade.

According to Zhao Lijian, the United States should “respect the spirit of the Olympic Games” and stop politicising sport. He also noted that, in matters of espionage and interference in the affairs of foreign states, the United States is a world leader.

“They monitor not only competitors, but also allies, using for this various tools such as cyber theft and telephone tapping. These are well-known facts,” he added.

Speaking at a briefing at the MFA, Zhao called the United States the “world’s leading hacking empire”. He accused the country of deliberate distortion of facts and of seeking “to smear and suppress China for political purposes”.

The US is the world’s top “hacking empire”. It mustered allies to make groundless accusations against China on cybersecurity. By distorting facts, they aim to smear & suppress China to serve political purposes. We categorically reject their allegations. pic.twitter.com/Np6qgjxFny

— Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) July 20, 2021

Last week, the People’s Bank of China published the first white paper on the digital yuan. According to the document, foreign nationals will be able to open a wallet to store the instrument without opening a bank account.

Kyle Bass, founder of Hayman Capital Management, described the e-CNY ‘digital Trojan horse’ and urged the United States to ban its use.

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