Washington is expected to make an announcement of a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing this week as shared by a senior administration official on Sunday.
A diplomatic boycott means that no government officials from the US would attend the games but the US athletes would still be permitted to compete.
The lawmakers in Washington have placed Biden administration under pressure to institute the diplomatic boycott. They want to take a stand against China’s human rights abuses.
Earlier last month, President Joe Biden said that the administration was considering the move.
China has faced criticism for cracking down on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, for its policies toward Tibet and Taiwan, and for detaining and abusing Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
The State Department, along with some European countries, has categorized Beijing’s actions against Uyghurs as “genocide.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said last month, “We have serious concerns about the human rights abuses that we’ve seen”.
Chinese government officials have warned of a “robust Chinese response” should the US or other countries launch boycotts from the games.
