Winter Olympics 2022: Why US has announced diplomatic boycott of Winter Olympics in Beijing?

The United States has announced the diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. The news was shared by the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on December 6, 2021. Biden Administration in the US has decided to not send an official delegation to the Winter Olympics which are scheduled to take place next year in Beijing.

Reportedly, the US athletes will participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics, but the administration will not send the US government officials to the upcoming games. The same policy will also be applied to the Paralympic Games to be held in Beijing, China. The White House Press Secretary said that the US has been looking to send a clear message to China.

The last time the United States had fully boycotted the Olympics was in 1990 when the former President of the United States Jimmy Carter was in office.

#BREAKING US announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics pic.twitter.com/zlYEkmje7x

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) December 6, 2021

Why US has announced diplomatic boycott of 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing?

The move by the United States for the diplomatic boycott of Winter Olympics 2022 in Beijing is to escalate pressure on China over the allegations of forced labour and human rights abuses in the Western region of China Xinjiang. The atrocities that are happening particularly against the Uyghur population and the other religious and ethnic minority groups.

With the latest decision, the US plans on sending a clear message that as long as human rights abuses will continue in China, there cannot be ‘business as usual’.

Not a right step to penalize US athletes

The United States has informed its allies abroad of its decision. The Press Secretary of the White House also said that the government did not feel it was right or fair to penalize the US athletes who have been training themselves for years.

However, the diplomatic boycott of the games also does not signify that it is the end of the concern that the US will raise about ongoing human rights abuses in China.

A delegation from the United States is generally sent to the Olympics. Notably, in Tokyo 2020 Olympics, first lady Jill Biden had lead the diplomatic delegation of the country.

Biden and Jinping Summit

It should be noted that the 2022 Winter Olympics Beijing was not a topic of discussion during the three-and-a-half-hour summit that was held between US President Joe Biden and President of China Xi Jinping.

The summit between the two rivals also did not yield any major breakthroughs, and none were also expected ahead of time. US President had raised trade issues, human rights, and Chinese aggression against Taiwan.

2022 Winter Olympics Beijing

2022 Winter Olympics are an upcoming international winter multi-sport event that will take place in Beijing from February 4 to February 20, 2022. Beijing was selected as the host city for Winter Olympics 2022 in July 2015 at the IOC session in Kuala Lampur.

The Winter Olympics 2022 will also be the first winter Olympics in China and the second overall Olympics to be held in China.