China Threatens Consequences for Boycotting 2022 Olympics

Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, issued a warning to countries considering a boycott of the 2022 Olympic Games. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Chinese Foreign Ministry threatened a “robust Chinese response” to a boycott of the 2022 Olympic Games, which human rights activists have been protesting. The statement came after reports that the Biden administration in Washington is in talks with allies about a stronger response to Beijing’s alleged human rights violations.

International human rights groups are calling on the U.S., its allies, and international institutions to boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in response to alleged abuses in Tibet, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang. 

“The politicization of sports will damage the spirit of the Olympic Charter and the interests of athletes from all countries,”  said Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.“The international community including the U.S. Olympic Committee will not accept it.”

According to the United Nations, China has interred millions of the Uyghurs, a Muslim-majority Turkic-speaking people, in “re-education camps” in its Xinjiang region for years. Independent human rights experts at the UN have described these camps as large-scale forced labor operations. In March, the U.S. State Department released its 2020 human rights report, condemning Beijing’s actions in Xinjiang as “genocide” and “crimes against humanity.” China has denied these allegations.

Last month, the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. joined the EU in “coordinated action” against the alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang. The U.S. has sanctioned Xinjiang officials for their alleged role in these abuses. 

While a State Department official said a boycott is among potential U.S. responses, a senior official later stated that this option is currently not being considered. White House press secretary Jen Psaki backed up this statement by saying that the Biden administration is not considering a boycott.

“We have not discussed, and are not discussing, any joint boycott with allies and partners,” Psaki said.

The International Olympics Committee and U.S. Olympics and Paralympics Committees have historically opposed boycotts. On Wednesday, Susanne Lyons, chair of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee board of directors, reiterated this opposition.

“We at the USOPC oppose athlete boycotts because they’ve been shown to negatively impact athletes while not effectively addressing global issues in the past,” Lyons said. Lyons added that the committee does not want to minimize human rights issues, but that the allegations should be addressed by government institutions instead and that “young athletes should [not] be used as political pawns in these issues.”

Although Washington officials appear to have distanced themselves from the boycott, it is likely that the U.S. and its allies will follow through with plans for additional responses to China’s alleged human rights violations. This additional response may take the form of international resolutions or additional sanctions.