Beijing has shot back after Washington declared a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics, saying American leaders weren’t invited to the event to begin with while blasting the move as “political manipulation.”
Asked about the boycott announced by the Joe Biden administration earlier on Monday, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the US, Liu Pengyu, told Reuters that the decision contradicts the “spirit” of the Olympics, though added that it would have no negative effect on the games, set for China in February.
“Such a pretentious act is only a political manipulation and a grave distortion of the spirit of the Olympic Charter. In fact, no one would care about whether these people come or not, and it has no impact whatsoever on the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics to be successfully held,” he said.
No invitation has been extended to US politicians whatsoever, so this ‘diplomatic boycott’ simply comes out of nowhere.
Politicians calling for boycott #2022BeijingOlympics are doing so for their own political interests and posturing. In fact, no one would care about whether these people come or not, and it has no impact whatsoever on the #Beijing2022 to be successfully held.
Liu went even further in a follow-up post on Twitter, sharing a graphic with text denouncing the “State of Democracy in the United States,” which went on to say the American system is based on “a game of money in politics,” rule from a “minority elite” and a “trust crisis” – all seemingly in reaction to the boycott.
While the Biden administration noted that American athletes would still be permitted to compete in the Olympics, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said US officials would not attend, citing alleged “crimes against humanity” against ethnic and religious minorities in China’s Xinjiang province and “other human rights abuses.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry denounced the move soon after it was announced, with spokesman Zhao Lijian blasting it as “grandstanding” and warning of “resolute countermeasures.” Beijing’s embassy in the Czech Republic has also sparred with its American counterpart online, telling Washington to “stop self-flattering” while also suggesting US officials weren’t invited in the first place
Biden officials had discussed a potential boycott publicly for some time, though it was unclear whether the administration would move ahead on the idea after a relatively amicable virtual meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last month. Despite calls from Beijing to pursue more “positive” ties as recently as last week, Biden is apparently taking a more confrontational approach, having repeatedly labeled China the US’ top “competitor” and a threat that must be countered in the Indo-Pacific.
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Beijing has warned Washington against affecting cooperation in “important areas” by calling for a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics in China and brushing off the US behavior as “grandstanding.”
Calls for a boycott should stop, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, told a news conference on Monday, adding that a failure to do so on the part of US politicians might “affect the dialogue and cooperation between China and the United States in important areas.”
If Washington “insists in willfully clinging to its course,” Beijing would “take resolute countermeasures,” Lijian added, while describing the calls for a boycott as nothing but “grandstanding.” US President Joe Biden’s administration has not yet officially announced any moves. It is expected to do so this week, though, according to a CNN report on Sunday.
Last month, Biden said he was considering a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Games to protest China’s human rights record, including what Washington describes as a “genocide” of Uyghurs – a Muslim minority living in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region.
Western nations, including the US and the UK, have accused China of establishing camps in Xinjiang that reportedly enforce sterilization and slave labor. Beijing has repeatedly denied these accusations, calling the sites vocational education and training centers.
The White House did not comment on the CNN report. The potential boycott would prevent the US officials from attending the Olympics but would not stop American athletes from competing there. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reportedly considering a similar boycott as well.
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