President Joe Biden said he is considering a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing next year in protest of what the US State Department says is a genocide against minority Muslims.
The move has been encouraged by activists, who are calling the upcoming Olympics China’s ‘genocide games’. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have also been encouraging the Biden administration to boycott.
When asked about the possibility of a boycott during an Oval Office meting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday, Biden responded that it is ‘something we are considering.’
Under a diplomatic boycott, the US would not send an official government delegation to the games. American athletes will still be able to compete.
Governments typically send a high-ranking delegation of diplomats to opening ceremonies in a show of international support for the thousands of athletes from around the world who participate. The 2022 Winter Olympics are set for February 4 to 20.
China has been facing harsh criticism for cracking down on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, its policies towards Tibet and Taiwan and for detaining and abusing Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang, which the US State Department has classified as genocide.
President Biden reportedly did not address the possibility of a boycott during the three-and-a-half-hour video conference meeting he had Monday night with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a White House spokesperson said Tuesday.
This is a breaking news story, check back for updates…