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President Joe Biden is expected to announce that the United States will issue a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics due to human rights violations in China, according to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.
The announcement is expected this week.
Biden said last month, days after virtually meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping, that the United States was considering such a boycott. The Olympics were not discussed at this meeting, but Biden discussed human rights violations in the country.
Among others, China accused of committing crimes against humanity against the Uyghur population of Xinjiang. The Biden administration and the administration of former President Donald Trump have called China’s treatment of Uyghurs – which includes allegations of forced mass sterilization, forced labor and family separation – as “genocide. “
There have been growing calls in the United States and around the world to boycott games for a number of reasons. Several activists demonstrated at the Acropolis monument in Athens in October during the traditional torch lighting ceremony.
China has also been in the midst of several controversies in the sports world in recent years. Former Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted his support for Hong Kong in 2019, which sparked huge controversy, and Enes Kanter Freedom raised issues in China while playing for the Boston Celtics this season.
Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai also disappeared earlier this year, after alleging that a high-ranking Chinese politician forced her to have sex. The International Olympic Committee has drawn strong criticism for its handling of Shuai’s disappearance, and the Women’s Tennis Association has suspended all tournaments in China.
What is a diplomatic boycott and what impact would it have on athletes?
The diplomatic boycott will have no impact on American athletes at the upcoming Winter Games in Beijing. All athletes who make the trip will still be allowed to compete.
Instead, Biden’s order would prevent any U.S. government official or dignitary from attending the Games. First Lady Jill Biden led the United States delegation to the Tokyo Olympics last summer, for example. Such a delegation in Beijing will no longer exist.
The United States has not boycotted the Olympics since the 1980 Moscow Games. It was a complete boycott, which meant the United States completely ignored the Olympics. Such a boycott is not expected this time around, according to the report.
The Olympics are scheduled to begin on February 4.
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