WASHINGTON, DC — The US on Monday announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing
Winter Olympics, citing human rights abuses, in a move that will not stop US
athletes from competing.
اضافة اعلان
"The Biden administration will not send any diplomatic
or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic
Games given the PRC's (People's Republic of China) ongoing genocide and crimes
against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses," White House
Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.
"The athletes on Team USA have our full support. We
will be behind them 100 percent as we cheer them on from home."
For months, the US government has been trying to find the
best way to position itself with regard to the Winter Games, hosted from
February 4–20, 2022 by a country it accuses of perpetrating
"genocide" against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, northwest China.
Several human rights organizations have accused Beijing of
having interned at least one million Muslims in Xinjiang in "re-education
camps".
Sending official representation to the Olympics would signal
that, despite China's "egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in
Xinjiang," the Games were "business as usual," Psaki said.
"And we simply can't do that," she continued.
Earlier Monday China had threatened
"countermeasures" if such a boycott were announced.
"I want to stress that the Winter Olympic Games is not
a stage for political posturing and manipulation," foreign ministry spokesman
Zhao Lijian said in response to weekend media reports that a boycott could be
imminent.
Speaking at a regular press briefing on Monday, he warned
the US should stop "hyping" the boycott.
"If the US is bent on having its own way, China will
take resolute countermeasures," Zhao said.
There was no immediate reaction to Psaki's statement from
Beijing.
Read more Region and World
.jpg)
.jpg)
