The Biden administration announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. The administration said the reason was because of China's human rights record, citing "ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang."
"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," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in the press briefing on Monday..
"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," Psaki added.
The diplomatic boycott will not prevent U.S. athletes from participating in the Winter Olympics, which begin on February 4, 2022.
Chinese officials blasted the decision and vowed to enact "resolute countermeasures."
"This severely tarnishes the spirit of the Olympic Charter," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said. "It's a naked political provocation, and more, a serious offense to 1.4 billion Chinese people."
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