Winter Olympics: USA announce boycott of Beijing games over ‘ongoing genocide’
The White House yesterday confirmed a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 winter Olympics, due to be held in Beijing in February.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said:“The Biden administration will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games given the [People’s Republic of China’s] ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, and other human rights abuses.”
“US diplomatic or official representation would treat these Games as business as usual in the face of the PRC’s egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang – and we simply can’t do that,” said Psaki.
The US president is due this week to host a “summit for democracy” where he is due to announce a series of commitments and reforms both in the US and internationally.
China has previously said it would take “resolute counter-measures” in the event of a boycott.