China’s Eileen Gu flew into Beijing this week ahead of the Olympics, after travelling from her home in the US. And that last fact – that she still lives in the US despite switching to compete for China in 2019 – made her the subject of a recent article in The Wall Street Journal. Haig and I debate the situation at length in an animated podcast. There are two main issues here:
- For someone who has reportedly renounced her US citizenship, Eileen Gu still spends an awful lot of time in the US – something that may be against US law. [UPDATE: Sources conflict on this, but I’m told it’s possible to renounce and then apply for a tourist visa or even an O or P visa, which would allow longer-term stays.] Conversely, if she does still have her US passport tucked away at home, then China has made a rather large exception to its strict nationality law, which forbids dual citizenship. It’s an issue that has faced several athletes recruited by China in recent years from ice hockey to soccer, and it’s a topic I explore at length in my new book Sporting Superpower. (What’s that? You haven’t downloaded a copy yet?! Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered – click here now!)
2. The second issue is that she’s both Chinese and American, but she can only represent one country in international competition. Her switch from the US to China makes sense for a number of reasons, as I outline in the podcast, but not everyone will agree, and she is sure to draw plenty of heat over the next few weeks as her profile continues to grow.
Full blurb below:
Freestyle skier Eileen Gu is poised to take the Beijing Olympics by storm, but a new story from The Wall Street Journal raises questions about her citizenship status. She now competes for China, but has she given up her US passport – as required under Chinese law? There’s lots for Mark and Haig to get into here: who decides someone’s nationality or citizenship? Does it matter, and to whom? And what could this mean for other athletes in China’s orbit? (1:32) Meanwhile, Gu has been outspoken on US issues, so is it fair to criticize her for not speaking out on Chinese issues? (7:01)
Elsewhere in the show, Dutch athletes are told to leave their electronics at home so they don’t get spied on – sage advice or over the top? (12:57) The Olympic bubble is now in operation, but it sounds like some might not be happy with the food choices on offer… (16:28) This week, Beijing warned its citizens to steer clear if they see an Olympic vehicle in a car crash – here’s why! (18:33) Finally, a UK court has ordered Chinese company PPTV to pay the Premier League more than $200 million, but what are the chances they pay up? (21:18)
Recent podcast episodes:
- Olympic Sailing Star Xu Lijia Meets Peng Shuai in Shanghai
- Pro coach Olivier Grignard talks tennis in China
- NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury on his decade in China
- NYT’s Tariq Panja & ex-CSL adviser Nikki Wang on Chinese football
- NFL China’s Steph Hsiao on growing the game
- Perfect World’s Josh Lee on esports in China
- Bamboo Goalposts author Rowan Simons
- Jon Howse on hockey development in China
She’s surrendered her US Passport. The decision is irreversible if she renounced US citizenship at age 18. She will have to apply for a tourist visa to return to the US. Her mother does not want to renounce her own US citizenship. Eileen will need to illegally use a VPN to access her American social media (FB & IG) since both have been banned in China since 2009. China also can access user text messages & other data, so it’s in her beat interest to avoid being an activist in China or trying to introduce her western belief that Chinese women can be anything they want to be in China.
If indeed Gu gave up h.er US citizenship, she needs to get in line and wait for a visa from the visa quota system. Applying is no guarantee of a visa. She cannot come and stay long-term without a study visa applied for ahead of time. Did she lie on her Stanford application about her legal status? There were likely far more deserving minority candidates – here in the US, who deserved her slot first. She sounds like an elitist brat when she brags about how others “will never win an Olympic gold medal.” Too bad we can’t send her to live with the Muslim Uryghur population, so she can see what she truly represents now – in oppression and human rights abuses. She claims she doesn’t care about the politics, because it is easier to turn a blind eye to suffering while you sell your soul to the Devil. She chose money and fame, over honor and humanity…She should stay in China where her loyalties lie …
Private sport is different than country representation for the Olympics. She has been American all her life and benefitted from her life in America to become what she is today. She clearly went for the endorsements, because would it be as lucrative for a Chinese who won gold for America instead of China? In actuality, it may have been lucrative seeing as how China has embraced Emma Raducanu. But we didn’t see that unfold until last year and Eileen Gu made her choice years before that.
Eileen Gu attributed to her Chinese mother’s interest in skiing and support. Had she be in China she might still achaive what she had because other Chinese born athletes had found success. Emma Raducanu until the pandemic was a frequent visitor to China and trained at the Chinese sport academy. She attrobuted her mental toughness and competitive edge to het Chinese training. Had Raducanu been a little but more successful tan her solitary win at the US Open China might consider accepting her to represent them.