The US have launched a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing a move that has support among critics of the Chinese government’s human rights record
While American athletes will compete, President Joe Biden’s government will not send any official representation to the games due to China’s “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, as well as other human rights violations,” according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
Why Have The US Decided To Boycott The Winter Olympics 2022 In Beijing China Explained
Psaki was referencing to China’s alleged treatment of Uighur Muslims in the northwestern territory, which has been labelled a genocide by both Biden and former President Donald Trump’s administration.
What Does China Say?
China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian slammed the action, which was widely expected, early Monday. According to a translation of his words, he stated, “It is a perversion of the Olympic spirit, it is political provocation, and it is an outrage to the 1.4 billion Chinese people.”
“If the United States persists in taking the wrong path, China will take the appropriate and forceful countermeasures,” Zhao warned.
Dozens of countries have criticised President Xi Jinping’s government for its actions in Xinjiang, as well as its crackdown on pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong in 2019 and 2020.
More recently, Beijing has been under fire following the weeks-long disappearance of tennis player Peng Shuai, who went missing after publicly accusing a former senior Chinese Communist Party official of sexual abuse.
The Women’s Tennis Association stated last week that competitions in China will be suspended indefinitely owing to concerns about Peng and other players’ treatment and safety.
IOC’s Stance On The Boycott
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it respects the decision of the US government.
The Winter Olympics will be hosted in a “closed-loop” bubble from February 4 to 20 due to COVID-19 limitations, just six months after the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Summer Games.
New Zealand said on Tuesday that it would not be sending ministerial-level diplomatic representatives to the event, citing COVID-19 as the reason.
Grant Robertson, New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister, said the move was not prompted by the US decision, but added that New Zealand had previously expressed its human rights concerns with China.