Big setback for Dragon! US boycotts 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, NZ boycotts too

Washington, December 07: Taking a move that could worsen its diplomatic ties with China, the Biden administration on Monday announced it will stage a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics over China’s ongoing "egregious human rights abuses" in Xinjiang.

 

Interestingly, the USA's decision comes just hours after, China warned that it would take "countermeasures" if the United States called for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

 

 

During the daily news briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki informed that the Biden administration has decided that it will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games.

 

 

 

She said, "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." Psaki said the Biden administration had informed U.S. allies of its decision and would leave it to individual countries to make their own decisions.

 

The White House is looking to send a "clear message" that the human rights abuses in China mean there cannot be "business as usual," Psaki said.

 

 

 

It should be noted that a diplomatic boycott means that no U.S. government officials will attend the Games. However, the athletes can still participate in-game. The US boycott would not prevent its athletes from competing in the games.

 

Meanwhile, following in the footsteps of the United States, New Zealand has announced that it will not send ministerial-level diplomatic representatives to the Beijing Winter Olympics in February.

 

 

 

China has come under fire for cracking down on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, for its policies toward Tibet and Taiwan, and for detaining and abusing Muslim Uyghurs in the country's Xinjiang province. The call for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics gained power after Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai disappeared from public view for three weeks after she made sexual assault allegations against a former senior official of the Chinese Communist Party.

 

Meanwhile, India has extended its support for the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing,

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