The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that President Joe Biden's administration will impose a "diplomatic boycott" on the upcoming Winter Olympics scheduled for February in China, in protest against human rights violations in the country. The newspaper quoted unnamed sources stating that the White House will soon announce that President Biden and other U.S. government officials will not attend the Beijing Winter Olympics, in a "diplomatic boycott" that will allow the United States to object to the abuses faced by Uyghur Muslims in China while still enabling American athletes to participate in the games. According to the newspaper, President Biden is expected to "agree" to this option by the end of November, following recommendations from his advisors.
In response to a question about the potential U.S. boycott of the games, a White House spokesperson stated on Tuesday that Biden did not raise this issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their virtual summit on Monday, without addressing the substance of the question. However, several members of Congress quickly welcomed this potential decision even before its official announcement.
Republican Senator Mitt Romney tweeted, "I have long called for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Games, and I hope the government sends a strong message to the Chinese Communist Party without punishing American athletes." Similarly, Senator Jim Risch, the senior Republican member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stated in a statement that such a decision from the White House would be "the right choice."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, called in May for a "diplomatic boycott" of the Olympics hosted by China, a position that triggered an angry reaction from Chinese authorities. However, several hawks in the Republican Party are urging Biden to go further, advocating for a complete boycott of the Olympics at both the diplomatic and athletic levels.
