China claims US planning to pay athletes to ‘sabotage’ Games

China’s foreign ministry is accused the U.S. of seeking to “sabotage” the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics about a week before the Games are set to begin.

As Reuters reported, the ministry claimed on Saturday that the U.S. was paying the athletes of some countries to make half-hearted efforts in the upcoming Beijing Games and to criticize the communist country.

The China Daily English-language newspaper, operated by the Chinese government, ran a report on Saturday citing unidentified sources who apparently claimed the U.S. was paying athletes from multiple countries to “express their discontent toward China, play passively in competition and even refuse to take part.”

The report went on to claim that the U.S. would “mobilise global resources” and provide compensation to protect the reputations of the athletes.

In a statement to Reuters, a U.S. Embassy spokesperson said, “We were not and are not coordinating a global campaign regarding participation at the Olympics.”

“U.S. athletes are entitled to express themselves freely in line with the spirit and charter of the Olympics, which includes advancing human rights,” they added.

This accusation comes just days after China warned the U.S. to “stop interfering” in the Games.