USA announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics

With the Winter Olympics just around the corner, the United States has announced a diplomatic boycott of the event set to begin in Beijing next year. The decision comes out after months of brooding over the stand that the USA should take on the genocide of the Uyghur minority in China as well as other minor human rights rebukes.

This move has met with severe opposition from the Foreign Ministry of China. In a statement, their spokesperson Zhao Lijian said, “The Us has attempted to interfere with the Beijing Winter Olympics out of ideological prejudice, based on lies and rumours… The US should stop politicising sorts and stop its actions that interfere and undermine Beijing Winter Olympics.”

Despite this statement from China, the move by the USA was welcomed by several groups and political leaders. The International Olympics Committee also respects the decision in the wake of political neutrality. Their spokesperson appreciated the fact that the participation of athletes was beyond politics.

The US-China relation started destabilising under Donald Trump’s reign as US President. The massive trade war and the questions regarding the origin of the Covid-19 Virus in China’s Wuhan have been the core reason for the unrest.

Later US President Biden has sought to reengage with Beijing. Simultaneously, his focus on alliance for an economic boost and the presence of the US military in the Indo-pacific region has not helped his cause.