China warns America to not boycott Winter Olympics

China’s authorities warned Washington on Wednesday to not boycott subsequent yr’s Winter Olympics in Beijing after the Biden administration mentioned it was speaking with allies a couple of joint strategy to complaints of human rights abuses.
A Foreign Ministry spokesperson rejected accusations of abuses in opposition to ethnic minorities within the Xinjiang area. He warned of an unspecified “robust Chinese response” to a possible Olympics boycott.
“The politicisation of sports will damage the spirit of the Olympic Charter and the interests of athletes from all countries,” mentioned the spokesperson, Zhao Lijian. Lijian added, “The international community including the US Olympic Committee will not accept it.”
Human rights teams are protesting China’s internet hosting of the video games, resulting from begin in February 2022. They have urged a boycott or different measures to name consideration to accusations of Chinese abuses in opposition to Uyghurs, Tibetans and residents of Hong Kong.
The US State Department instructed an Olympic boycott was among the many potentialities however a senior official mentioned later a boycott has not been mentioned. The International Olympic Committee and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee have mentioned up to now they oppose boycotts.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki mentioned Wednesday that the White House isn’t taking a look at a boycott of the 2022 Olympics.
“We have not discussed, and are not discussing, any joint boycott with allies and partners,” she mentioned.
When requested if the US authorities would discourage Americans from touring to China, Psaki mentioned the Biden administration hopes that by the point of the occasion, “we are at a point where enough people across the country, and hopefully around the world have been vaccinated” in opposition to Covid-19.