The athletes caught in the middle of American and Chinese politics and nationalism

As the Beijing Winter Games rage on, Ms. Gu, an American-born Chinese-American athlete, continues to gain momentum as some say Chinese-American Olympians once served as a bridge between the two countries, and they, and their successes and failures, are increasingly seen as proxies for a broader geopolitical struggle between the superpowers.

In China, resurgent nationalism means that even among citizens, anyone expressing even the mildest criticism can be dismissed as unpatriotic. But the scrutiny of Chinese-Americans is often harsh in other ways, too.

They are considered part of the Chinese family and are expected to show loyalty, but are also distrusted outsiders. In different moments and moods, they can be seen as traitors to their country or as national heroes.

For athletes, the choice of which country to compete for is often personal or practical. Ties to both the United States and China also come naturally to Chinese-Americans, many of whom grew up across two cultures, regions and languages.

But worsening geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington have made it difficult for the athletes to keep their balance.

For decades, many countries have recruited foreign-born athletes to improve their chances of winning MEDALS at the Olympics. Now China is also looking abroad for talent.

About 30 athletes representing China at this year’s Olympics are naturalized Chinese citizens, mostly playing for the men’s and women’s hockey teams. In the US, however, no one has come under as much scrutiny as Ms. Gu. She has already won two MEDALS in these Olympics.

Gu said her decision to represent China was driven by a desire to grow the sport in China. She thanked the United States and China for nurturing her. But some commentators on both sides have used the Olympics as a battleground, using words like “betrayal” and “loyalty” to describe the athletes.

Fox News host Will Cain said Gu was “ungrateful” for “betraying the country that not only raised her, but turned her into a world-class skier.”

In China, however, Ms Gu quickly became a superstar. Many Chinese are fascinated by her thick Beijing accent, her successful modeling career and reports of her near-perfect SAT scores. She has won high-priced endorsements from many of China’s top brands, including JD.com, Bank of China and Anta.

Despite her adulation in China, Gu is also walking a tightrope. So far, she has refused to answer repeated questions about whether she has given up her American passport. (China does not allow dual citizenship.)

Hu Xijin, the recently retired editor of global Times, a nationalist newspaper, warned on Sunday that China’s propaganda apparatus should not play up Ms. Gu, suggesting that it was unclear which country she would identify with in a few years.
“China’s national honour and credibility cannot be put at risk on the issue of Gu Ailing,” he wrote.

The implication is that blood alone is no longer enough to make Chinese-American athletes welcome in China. Instead, it now depends on their ability to comply with China’s increasingly demanding (and some say unrealistic) expectations.

The negative sentiment stems in part from disillusionment with the United States and a perception among The Chinese that Washington is unfairly fanning hostility toward Beijing in an attempt to thwart its rise.

“There was a time when people thought it was great to be American,” said Hung Huang, a Chinese-American writer who was born in China and lives in Beijing. “But as politics between the two countries has sunk into a bottomless pit, the Chinese feel they shouldn’t — or can’t — praise a country that has been blaming them.”

China has reacted to some of its athletes with indifference at best and cynicism at worst. Last week, Chinese state media were conspicuously silent about The gold medal won by American figure skater Chen Wei in the men’s individual event, focusing instead on yuzuru Hanyu of Japan, who finished fourth, and Jin Boyang of China, who finished ninth. Chinese social media users commented that the US athlete’s achievements were not worthy of attention because they saw him as degrading to China.

“I agree with Evan,” Mr. Chen said at the time. “I think for bigger changes to happen, there has to be something beyond the Olympics. It has to be a massive change.

Twenty years ago, China regarded people like figure skater Michelle Kwan and tennis player Zhang Depei as cultural ambassadors.
Chinese table tennis player Zhuang Yongxiang, who competed for the United States, recalls the warm welcome he received when he returned to Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Mr. Zhuang, who moved to the United States in 1990, said in a telephone interview that during one of his matches, a group of Chinese fans gathered to yell encouragement at him

“Can you imagine, I left the country 18 years ago, and they were here cheering me on,” Zhuang recalled. “Then I couldn’t play. I was so excited.”
This time, he says, the atmosphere is completely different.
“When you look at the relationship today, and the politics and competition between the two countries, it’s kind of sad,” Mr. Zhuang said. “It’s a shame.”