US announces diplomatic boycott of 2022 Winter Olympics in China

The United States will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the 2022 Winter Olympics in China, US officials announced on Monday, despite warnings from Beijing that it would retaliate for such a move.

“US 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,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

Psaki added: “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.”

Later Monday, State Department Spokesman Ned Price echoed Psaki’s comments, noting that the US would fully support American athletes at the Winter Games.

Asked about US companies in the private sector involved in the Olympics, Price said it was not the government’s role to tell private companies what to do.

“We want the [US] private sector to be fully cognizant … with what is transpiring in Xinjiang,” Price said.