US and UK consider diplomatic boycott

The United States may not send an official delegation to the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in China in February. The background is the allegations of human rights violations in the People’s Republic. On Thursday, US President Joe Biden described a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Games as a possibility to consider. He spoke in a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Human rights activists and members of Congress of both parties have called for a boycott of the US government. It is common for governments to send a high-level delegation of diplomats to attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. The Winter Games will be held in Beijing from February 4-20.

The United States accuses China of committing genocide in the Uyghur Muslim-majority province of Xinjiang. The government in Beijing rejects this. Recently, Biden held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping as part of the video summit. According to American information, this also concerns human rights in general.

Britain is studying that, too

After the United States, Great Britain is now considering a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics. The Times reported on Saturday. The government is currently debating whether only the ambassador to China and not British ministers should travel to China for the games in February. The boycott was supported by Secretary of State Liz Truss.

According to the report, five Conservative politicians wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking him to stop any diplomatic representation of Britain at the Winter Olympics in February.