China does not allow dual citizenship. So how exactly is it that a US-born Olympian was able to win gold in Beijing for Beijing?
The answer – at least in part- is that communist China’s supposedly classless worker’s paradise operates a system that poaches gifted and talented athletes and over-achievers from all over the world. The other part of the answer is something only Eileen Gu and the Chinese government know the answer to.
After being asked by reporters whether she had renounced her U.S. citizenship to join the Chinese Olympic team, Gu swerved the query like she would a large tree on the slopes.
“I’ve always been super outspoken about my gratitude to the U.S., especially the U.S. team,” she said. “I feel as though they’ve helped me out so much in my development, they continue to support me. And same with the Chinese team. They’ve always been super supportive and they’ve helped me so much. And so in that sense, I think that that speaks volumes to the ability of sport to bridge the gap and to be a force for unity.”
Unswerved by Gu’s swerves, the media restated the question only to be yet again rebuffed by verbal nonsense and feigned innocence.
“First of all, I’m an 18-year-old girl. I’m a kid. I haven’t even gone to college yet. I’m a pretty normal person … If people don’t have a good heart, they won’t believe me, because they can’t empathize with people who do have a good heart. And so in that sense, I feel as though it’s a lot easier to block out the hate now. And also, they’re never going to know what it feels like to win an Olympic gold medal.”
Despite Gu’s claim to be a “normal person,” it is precisely the fact that she is not a normal person that likely played a part in her being given the opportunity to join Team China.
As Yahoo! reports, “In 2020, the Chinese Ministry of Justice broadened rules for foreigners to obtain permanent residency such that those who has achieved international recognition in sport, science, culture and other fields would be eligible. The expansion would seem to apply to Ms. Gu.”
So there you have it. Permanent residency cannot happen while you retain dual citizenship – unless – you happen to be a superiorly talented individual who could make China look good. Then, by all means, come on over. That rule change explains how she could qualify as a permanent resident of China, but even that doesn’t fully explain how she got around the issue of her US citizenship.
BEIJING, CHINA – FEBRUARY 08: Gold medallist Ailing Eileen Gu of Team China celebrates with their medal during the Women’s Freestyle Skiing Freeski Big Air medal ceremony on Day 4 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Beijing Medal Plaza on February 08, 2022, in Beijing, China. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
So, what did she do? Did she renounce her citizenship or not?
The first thing to understand about “Genocide Barbie” is that she is not ideological. If her answers to the questions regarding her citizenship prove anything, it’s that she is not capable of coming up with ideas. She is a purely transactional marketing phenomenon and she’s determined to market herself in China. That is her primary purpose in representing China in the Olympics.
BEIJING, CHINA – JANUARY 13: A billboard showing American born freestyle skier Eileen Gu, also known by her Chinese name Gu Ailing, who will compete for China, is seen from the window of a subway car as a mother and her son ride on the train on January 13, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
Announcing that she had retained her US citizenship would have hurt her in China, as the people would have resented her for being a “resident” and not a citizen, and would have turned against her. It also would have shown the world that the Chinese caved and allowed their laws to be violated for the sole purpose of winning a gold medal.
Given that, the likelihood is that she did not renounce her US citizenship.
Meaning, in the end, she must have made a deal with the devil, literally. Gu had to have made a deal with the Chinese government that would allow her to win gold for them while waving any requirement that she officially renounce her US citizenship. In exchange, of course, Gu would have to remain totally silent about being allowed to retain her citizenship lest she ruin her marketability in China and embarrass the Chinese government.
That is literally the only thing that makes any sense.
Why? Because it makes sense given what we know about China and Eileen Gu. We know that gold medals and beating the rest of the world means more to the Chinese than the law and money means more to Genocide Barbie than anything.
That much is obvious.