WASHINGTON (Fwrd Axis) — The United States will host a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games amid concerns over human rights in China, the White House announced on Monday.
A diplomatic boycott means that no U.S. government officials will attend the Games.
“The Biden administration will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games given the PRC’s ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at Monday’s briefing.
Republican lawmakers have pressured the Biden administration to boycott the 2022 Games, including keeping U.S. athletes from taking part in the Games.
I’m glad to see the Biden Administration take steps to hold China accountable, but this diplomatic boycott does not go far enough,” Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan said in a statement. “China has demonstrated again and again that they do not deserve the honor associated with hosting the Olympics, and the Games should be hosted elsewhere.”
Calls for a boycott grew louder when Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai disappeared and then turned up in a video released by the Chinese government. However, the authenticity of the video remains in question after Shuai made claims of sexual assault by a senior official of the Chinese Communist Party.
Sen. Mitt Romney tweeted his approval of the Biden administration’s decision, saying the move was the correct one.
“The right answer is an economic and diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics,” he said.
