Beijing Olympics: US diplomats to boycott 2022 Winter Games
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Published 06/12/2021 at 19:33 GMT
President Joe Biden had previously said that he was considering a boycott, and it was confirmed by White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday, citing "egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang". China has previously said that it will take "resolute counter-measures" in the event of a boycott. The Winter Olympics begin on February 4, 2022.
A fan waves a American flag after The United States winning the curling men's round robin session between the US and Canada during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Curling Centre in Gangneung on February 19, 2018.
Image credit: Getty Images
The United States has announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in China.
President Joe Biden had said that he was considering a boycott, and the White House has now confirmed that no official delegation would attend the Games.
American athletes will still be able to compete with their country's "full support".
"The Biden administration will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics games given the PRC's ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
"We simply can't treat these Games as business as usual. [This is not] the end of the concerns we will raise about human rights abuses."
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China has previously stated that it will take "resolute counter-measures" in the event of the boycott.
The 2022 Winter Olympics are due to begin in Beijing on February 4.
The city will become the first to host both the Summer and Winter Games, having held the 2008 Olympics - four indoor venues will be repurposed, along with the Beijing National Stadium, which will be the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies.
The US has accused China of committing genocide towards Uighur Muslims, a minority group which lives mostly in Xinjiang, an autonomous region in the northwest of the country.
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