The United States announced the latest in a longstanding tradition of political boycotts at the Olympics when White House press secretary Jen Psaki this week said U.S. diplomats would not attend the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing next year.
The decision, Psaki said, came due to concerns about “the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses.” Athletes representing the U.S. are still allowed to compete on the international stage.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said in a news conference that the move by the U.S. had both offended China’s people and was done prematurely: China has yet to formally invite U.S. politicians to attend the Games.
On Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee said in a statement that “the presence of government officials and diplomats is a purely political decision for each government, which the IOC in its political neutrality fully respects.”