A decision is expected soon that could impose a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in protest of human rights violations in China’s Xinjiang province. If the U.S. boycott occurs, no government officials would attend the games, however, qualified U.S. athletes are still expected to be allowed participate.
“President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. met virtually on Nov. 15 with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The two leaders discussed the complex nature of relations between our two countries and the importance of managing competition responsibly,” a White House readout stated.
The readout further examined, “President Biden raised concerns about the PRC’s practices in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, as well as human rights more broadly. He was clear about the need to protect American workers and industries from the PRC’s unfair trade and economic practices.”
During the meeting, Biden also discussed the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and communicated the continued determination of the United States to uphold our commitments in the region.
When asked on Tuesday whether he thought there would be a U.S. delegation at the Beijing Olympics, Biden replied, “I’m the delegation and I dealt with it.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during an appearance at the virtual New York Times DealBook Summit, “We are talking to, to allies, to partners, to countries around the world about how they’re thinking about the games, how they’re thinking about participation.”
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics run Feb. 4 until Feb 20.