Several lawmakers are urging Joe Biden to announce a partial boycott of the 2020 Olympics in Beijing.
According to reports, there is still a growing concern over China's human rights abuses. And after Biden and Chinese President Xin Jinping failed to reach a breakthrough over such an important issue during their meeting, some lawmakers want China to be held responsible for its treatment of Uyghur Muslims, among other things.
Biden is scheduled to make an official announcement this week. But regardless of what his decision will be, a total boycott won't happen. This means that American athletes will continue to compete at the Olympics next year, but no American officials will attend.
Several lawmakers support possible 2022 Olympics boycott
Sen. Mitt Romney is one lawmaker who wants the United States to boycott the Olympics. He said that China doesn't deserve to host such a prestigious competition while the Chinese Communist Party commits genocide against Uyghurs.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is also in support of the boycott. According to the Huffington Post, Pelosi said the country could not proceed as if nothing is wrong with the Olympics being held in China.
Read Also: 2 Human Rights Activists Arrested in Athens After Opposing the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics
Australia, Canada, the UK waiting for Joe Biden's announcement
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Biden's planned boycott paved the way for Australia to join a US-led coalition and formalize its response to the alleged human rights abuses in China, particularly Beijing.
The Australian government has no plans to send representatives to the Olympic Games next year, but an official boycott has not yet been announced.
But if Biden will make an official announcement, it's highly likely for Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada to follow suit. The publication said that a joint boycott would benefit Australia because China wouldn't single out the country, just like last year.
At the time, Australia lobbied to ban Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei, resulting in a $20 billion trade strike from Beijing.
China accused of committing crimes against humanity
Per Yahoo! News, China is accused of committing crimes against humanity, particularly the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. There are also ongoing allegations of mass sterilization, forced labor, and separating families, referred to as genocide.
On top of this, China is also faced with a slew of other controversies throughout the world of sports. In 2019, former Houston Rockets manager Daryl Morey tweeted his support for Hong Kong, resulting in a massive controversy.
Enes Kanter has not also shied away from calling China out. In October, the Boston Celtics star urged Nike to speak up against the injustice toward minorities in China.
And just a few weeks ago, Chinese tennis superstar Peng Shuai accused former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual harassment. Shuai went missing for two weeks before she resurfaced to say that she's taking a break while spending time with her family in Beijing.
Biden has not made an official announcement regarding the boycott, but a handful of people from his administration are confident that he will do so before next week.
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