The U.S. has officially decided to stage a formal boycott against the upcoming winter Olympics in Beijing, as a protest against China’s major human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region.
Also being referred to as the ‘Genocide Olympics’, this upcoming Olympic games is being held in a country where the government does not seem to have any ethical concern for their people.
The White House has confirmed that there will not be any U.S. officials or diplomatic representation at this game, as “U.S. 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 in a briefing last Monday.
Despite this diplomatic protest, U.S. athletes will still continue to compete, and will be supported by America, but not by attending the games and feeding into the economy of a country with fundamental Human Rights issues.
“We have a fundamental commitment to promoting human rights. And we feel strongly in our position and we will continue to take actions to advance human rights in China and beyond,” Psaki added.
The U.S. has since called on other countries to join this diplomatic boycott; Biden plans to host a summit for Democracy expected to have an attendance of more than 100 countries. The summit is meant to be a platform for the countries to discuss their commitments, reforms, and initiatives to defend democracy and human rights within their countries and abroad.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Zhao Lijian, accused the U.S. choice of protest as an act of political grandstanding, in an attempt to steal the spotlight from China, who hoped to showcase their economic development and technological prowess through the Olympic games.
Although the attendance of high-level officials and diplomats at the Olympic games has been a long-standing tradition, the U.S. seems to stand firm in its belief that a diplomatic boycott is necessary despite China’s threats of retaliation.
“Without being invited, American politicians keep hyping the so-called diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, which is purely wishful thinking and grandstanding… If the U.S. side is bent on going its own way, China will take firm countermeasures.” Zhao told the reporters at the Daily Briefing.
