Chinese dissident Ai voices criticism as Winter Games open

By JAMEY KEATEN
Associated Press

GENEVA (AP) — The dissident Chinese architect behind the Beijing stadium hosting Friday’s opening ceremony of the Winter Games has scoffed at the head of the U.N. health agency. He said China should award him “a gold medal” for not asking hard questions about its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ai Weiwei, possibly China’s best-known dissident, aired criticism of Beijing’s human rights record and response to the pandemic, in an interview with The Associated Press Friday, in which he also took aim at World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Ai also accused governments of showing too much deference to China for business or political interests.