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sports Diaranson 8 December 2021

US plans diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics

(AP) — The U.S. will stage a dip- letes.” had been advocating for a diplomatic was first to report that an announce-
lomatic boycott of the upcom- boycott for months, applauded Biden ment was expected this week.
ing Winter Olympics in Beijing t Cotton appeared to be referring to for taking the step. Still, she said the
o protest Chinese human rights former Grand Slam doubles cham- IOC “allowing a country notorious Beijing has mounted a stiff response
abuses, the White House con- pion Peng Shuai, who dropped from for its appalling human rights record to all U.S. criticisms, denouncing
firmed Monday, a move that Chi- sight after publicly accusing a former to host the Olympics makes a mock- them as interference in its internal af-
na has vowed to greet with “firm top Communist Party official of sex- ery of the Olympic Charter, which fairs and slapping visa bans on Ameri-
countermeasures.” ual assault. Concerns over her safety states that the Games should seek to can politicians it regards as anti-Chi-
prompted the Women’s Tennis As- foster ‘respect for universal and fun- na.
White House press secretary Jen Psa- sociation to suspend events in China damental ethical principles.’”
ki said U.S. athletes will continue to and provided added fuel to opponents It wasn’t clear whom the U.S. might
compete and will “have our full sup- of China’s hosting of the games. The dispatching of high-level del- have sent to Beijing for the games and
port,” but added “we will not be con- egations to each Olympics has long Zhao’s comments appeared to indi-
tributing to the fanfare of the games.” Psaki would not comment whether been a tradition among the U.S. and cate that China has not extended any
Biden weighed pulling athletes from other leading nations. Then-Presi- invitations.
“U.S. diplomatic or official repre- the games — many of whom have dent George W. Bush attended the
sentation would treat these games as been training for years for the mo- opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Australia, whose ties with China have
business as usual in the face of the ment to compete on the global stage. Summer Games. First lady Jill Biden nosedived over a range of disputes,
PRC’s egregious human rights abus- In 1980, in the midst of the Cold led the American contingent to the has also raised the possibility of a dip-
es and atrocities in Xinjiang, and we War, Jimmy Carter kept U.S. athletes Summer Olympics in Tokyo this year lomatic boycott.
simply can’t do that,” Psaki told re- home from the 1980 Summer Olym- and second gentleman Doug Emhoff
porters during Monday’s briefing. pics in Moscow to protest the Soviet led a delegation to the Paralympic Psaki said Biden and Chinese Presi-
invasion of Afghanistan. Games. dent Xi Jinping did not discuss a
“We have a fundamental commit- potential diplomatic boycott of the
ment to promoting human rights. “I don’t think that we felt it was the The diplomatic boycott comes as games when they spoke last month.
And we feel strongly in our position right step to penalize athletes who the U.S. attempts to stabilize turbu- She said Biden’s decision to keep
and we will continue to take actions have been training and preparing lent relations with Beijing, even as it U.S. dignitaries home was conveyed
to advance human rights in China for this moment, and we felt that we maintains a tough approach toward to Beijing by aides before it was
and beyond,” Psaki added. could send a clear message by not trade and conflicts over China’s ac- formally announced by the White
sending an official U.S. delegation,” tions on Taiwan, human rights, Hong House.
The announcement came as Biden Psaki said. Kong and the South China Sea. CNN
prepares to host a White House Sum-
mit for Democracy, a virtual gather- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesper-
ing of leaders and civil society ex- son Zhao Lijian accused U.S. politi-
perts from more than 100 countries cians of grandstanding over the issue
that is set to take place Thursday and of not sending dignitaries to attend
Friday. The administration has said events that China hopes will show-
Biden intends to use the meeting “to case its economic development and
announce both individual and col- technological prowess.
lective commitments, reforms, and
initiatives to defend democracy and Speaking to reporters at a daily brief-
human rights at home and abroad.” ing, Zhao said such a move would be
an “outright political provocation,”
Senate Foreign Relations Commit- but gave no details on how China
tee Chairman Robert Menendez, D- might retaliate.
N.J., called such a diplomatic boycott
“a necessary step to demonstrate our Human rights advocates and lawmak-
unwavering commitment to human ers in the U.S. who support a boycott
rights in the face of the Chinese gov- say it is a necessary step. They cite
ernment’s unconscionable abuses.” China’s poor record on human rights
as justification, saying China is using
He called on “other allies and part- the games to whitewash its ill treat-
ners that share our values to join with ment of civil rights activists, political
the United States in this diplomatic dissidents and ethnic minorities.
boycott.”
“Without being invited, American
Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Re- politicians keep hyping the so-called
publican, however, said the diplo- diplomatic boycott of the Beijing
matic boycott amounted to a “half Winter Olympics, which is purely
measure.” American officials, includ- wishful thinking and grandstanding,”
ing Biden, have criticized Beijing for Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing.
human rights abuses against Uyghurs “If the U.S. side is bent on going its
in northwest Xinjiang province, own way, China will take firm coun-
suppression of democratic protests termeasures.”
in Hong Kong, military aggression
against the self-ruled island of Taiwan The International Olympic Com-
and more. President Donald Trump’s mittee in a statement called the de-
administration in its final days de- cision to keep dignitaries away from
clared the abuses in northwest China the game a “political decision for each
“genocide.” government” that it “fully respects.”

“The United States should fully boy- “At the same time, this announce-
cott the Genocide Games in Beijing,” ment also makes it clear that the
Cotton said. “American businesses Olympic Games and the participation
should not financially support the of the athletes are beyond politics and
Chinese Communist Party and we we welcome this,” the IOC statement
must not expose Team USA to the said.
dangers of a repugnant authoritarian
regime that disappears its own ath- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who