Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is among those criticizing Major League Baseball for maintaining a partnership with China while moving its All-Star Game out of the state of Georgia.
MLB on Friday announced it would pull its All-Star Game out of Atlanta due to a new voting law that has sparked a major debate over its impact on voting rights. The league, in a statement, said it was moving the game because it "opposes restrictions to the ballot box." Commissioner Rob Manfred said that moving the game was "the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport."
Major League Baseball also has ties with the oppressive Chinese government – a fact that Pompeo and others criticized. In 2017, MLB announced a 10-year partnership with the Chinese government-owned Beijing Enterprises Real-Estate Group Ltd. (BEREGL) to grow the sport of baseball in China. Last week, Major League Baseball expanded its agreement with the Chinese company Tencent, which has close ties to the Chinese government and streams MLB games in China.
"Georgia's laws don't comport with @MLB 'values,' but China's do?" Pompeo asked in a tweet. It received nearly 7,000 retweets.
Georgia’s laws don’t comport with @MLB “values” but China’s do?https://t.co/354BUflBd3
— Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) April 3, 2021
Before Pompeo left office in January, the State Department released a report saying China's government was guilty of genocide, forced abortions and forced sterilizations against the Uyghur people.
Conservative writer David French posted a link to a story about the MLB-Chinese partnership and tweeted, "So this happened, not long ago. I wonder, how far do the MLB's values extend?"
So this happened, not long ago. I wonder, how far do the MLB's values extend? https://t.co/HMhEgtNZn2
— David French (@DavidAFrench) April 2, 2021
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) tweeted, "Dear GOP: @MLB caves to pressure & moves draft & #AllStarGame out of Georgia on the same week they announce a deal with a company backed by the genocidal Communist Party of #China. Why are we still listening to these woke corporate hypocrites on taxes, regulations & anti-trust?"
Dear GOP:@MLB caves to pressure & moves draft & #AllStarGame out of Georgia on the same week they announce a deal with a company backed by the genocidal Communist Party of #China
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) April 2, 2021
Why are we still listening to these woke corporate hypocrites on taxes, regulations & anti-trust? https://t.co/GWToVhAZvW
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) also criticized Major League Baseball.
"Your sports league might be a little too woke if it will freely do business with Communists in China and Cuba but boycotts a US state that wants people to show an ID to vote. #MLBAllStarGame," Paul tweeted.
Your sports league might be a little too woke if it will freely do business with Communists in China and Cuba, but boycotts a US state that wants people to show an ID to vote. #MLBAllStarGame #mlb
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) April 3, 2021
Related:
China Guilty of Genocide against Uyghurs, Pompeo Says: 'We Will Not Remain Silent
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Kevork Djansezian/Stringer
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
