China authorities said that its citizens were "relieved" after United States President Joe Biden's administration announced that he would not send any diplomatic or official representative to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, citing human rights abuses.
During a press briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki doubled down on the decision by saying that the government will be cheering and supporting Team USA and American athletes from home. The official said that the federal government will not be contributing to the fanfare at the games.
Boycott of Beijing Olympics
Psaki referenced the Chinese government's alleged treatment of minority Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang province. There have been reports that Beijing has targeted the minority group in recent years.
The Biden administration's diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics is an expected move and follows other international condemnation of China's treatment of its ethnic minorities. Earlier this year, the United States joined the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada to impose economic sanctions on Beijing as their protest to the alleged human rights abuses, NPR reported.
In response, China blasted the Biden administration on Monday for its decision not to deploy any diplomatic or official representative to the Olympics. Beijing authorities also took advantage of the situation to further their own conspiracy theories regarding the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a Twitter post, the Global Times, a local state-run news media in China, said that Chinese people were "relieved" to hear that U.S. officials will not be coming to the event. The social media post added that since there were fewer Americans coming into the region, there would be fewer viruses being brought in.
The social media reaction came shortly after the White House confirmed that they will not be sending any officials to attend the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics or Paralympic games. In November, Biden first revealed his consideration of the diplomatic boycott as a punitive measure, US News reported.
Rising International Tensions
The Biden administration's decision to boycott the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics marks a major geopolitical snub and comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing over several international issues. The decision was previously supported by human rights groups who urged for a full-scale U.S. boycott of the 2022 Games, including athletes. However, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee refused to entertain the proposal.
Psaki said that standing up for human rights is in the heart of Americans, noting that the Biden administration had a "fundamental commitment to promoting human rights." The press secretary added that the government will continue to take actions to support human rights and expand its reach across China and other nations.
After the Biden administration sanctioned several Chinese government officials in March over the "serious human rights abuse" of minority Uyghurs, they warned that Beijing could continue to receive sanctions if the "atrocities" continued.
For months, Congressional Republicans have urged President Biden to discuss the idea of moving the Olympic Games out of Beijing. On Monday, State Department spokesman Ned Price doubled down on the White House's announcement, saying that the decision did not reduce the government's support for American athletes, Fox News reported.
Related Article:
