Washington, Dec 6 (Prensa Latina) The White House confirmed today that it will carry out a “diplomatic boycott” of the Winter Olympics to be held in Beijing, China, in February 2022.
The United States will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the multisport event as usual in this type of competition, but it will send its athletes, the press secretary of the presidency, Jen Psaki, said on Monday.
The spokeswoman said that Washington informed the allies of its decision, but will leave it up to them to determine whether to join the boycott.
For months, some legislators urged US President Joe Biden to boycott the winter meeting to denounce alleged human rights violations by the Chinese government in the alleged genocide of ethnic groups in Xinjiang (northwest), with a strong presence of Muslims .
In November, the occupant of the Oval Office gave indications of his intention to discredit the winter event due to his “serious concerns” about the human rights situation in the Asian country.
Biden spoke last month with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, about the need for a stable and respect-based relationship, but they did not specifically discuss the Games.
Beijing has repeatedly demanded that Washington abandon its policy of double standards on human rights and suggested it focus on its problems, such as white supremacy and racism.
Authorities of the Asian giant recently denounced the politicization of the matter and assure that the programs applied in Xinjiang seek to curb terrorism, separatism and radicalization.
China claims to be ready to host the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing from February 4 to 20 next year, which will become the only city in the world to host both the winter and summer editions, which took place in 2008.
msm / avr
