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U.S. announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics

68 Comments
By Sarah TITTERTON

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68 Comments

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This is the best feasible outcome, that denies full recognition of the Olympics but lets the athletes who have worked so hard in the years leading up to this to let us witness their craft. However China doesn't deserve these Games, let's not deny the Athletes a chance.

This was what some countries did in Moscow in 1980. Sport is sport and we do not need a full return to the complete boycotts we saw in 76,80 and 84.

-10 ( +16 / -26 )

This does seem like a good solution.

I wonder if the CCP will overreact and try to ban the American athletes. If Xi is anything like Trump, you can expect that to happen.

-5 ( +21 / -26 )

I think the act of making a fair and just judgment.

-3 ( +13 / -16 )

Pointless exersise. I woulnt care, why should China? The games go ahead with all nations competing and that is all China needs.

5 ( +18 / -13 )

I would support a full boycott but I’ll take this.

12 ( +21 / -9 )

The problem here is that US companies betrayed the US and US workers by buying cheap crap from China to sell it at the same price to make more money without having to buy products from US companies, forcing manufacturing to disappear along with US jobs.

China could seriously hurt the US by cutting off many goods. The Chinese government has been telling the people to get ready to sacrifice.

What does the US have to bargain with? Nothing. No one wants to buy American injury lawyers, InstaGram influencers or woke political agendas.

6 ( +16 / -10 )

The United States on Monday announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, a calibrated rebuke of China's human rights record that stops short of preventing U.S. athletes from competing.

Put some icing on the cake and send a diplomat to Taiwan to watch the Olympics on tv with President Tsai.

8 ( +16 / -8 )

Nobody will even notice or even remember if Joe doesn't attend the Olympics. A full boycott will be remembered throughout history.

9 ( +18 / -9 )

China called chicken and he US responded. Now we eagerly wait for the counter reply. I bet is somewhere along the lines "we don't really care if your diplomats come or not".

9 ( +12 / -3 )

I would prefer a complete boycott, but this will have to do!!

5 ( +13 / -8 )

This is the best feasible outcome...

This does seem like a good solution...

I think the act of making a fair and just judgment...

Hopefully other nations will follow as a clear protest.

Yes, it is truly awesome that the US government will not be there to oversee and support their athletes. Such leadership.

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

I would not want to be an American citizen living or working in China right now! Look what happened to the two Michaels from Canada, when they arrested the Huawei company's presidents daughter! They are vindictive and don't care for the rule of law. They will make up some fake charges against them and use them as pawns, just as they did with the two Canadians.

11 ( +15 / -4 )

@divinda: Why not ket us know your true thoughts? Sarcasm is of course the lowest form of wit.

-10 ( +3 / -13 )

Why not go all the way and actually boycott the Chinese Olympics?

13 ( +16 / -3 )

I can’t wait to see what kind of “resolute countermeasures”China will take.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

The problem here is that US companies betrayed the US and US workers by buying cheap crap from China to sell it at the same price to make more money without having to buy products from US companies, forcing manufacturing to disappear along with US jobs.

Unfortunately it's worse than that. US (and other foreign) companies sent their equipment, material and engineers to teach Chinese how to make high-quality products. (Not cheap crap.) They were hoping for access to China's huge domestic market, but most of the stuff was exported, and China used the foreign currency windfall to build up its armed forces. If the US loses a war to China someday, it will be because the US paid for it.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

Hopefully other nations will join this diplomatic boycott.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

@divinda: Why not ket us know your true thoughts? Sarcasm is of course the lowest form of wit.

The Olympics are not meant to be a stage for political debate.

But if they are to be about politics and international relation and human rights issues that are not connected to the Games themselves, then any athlete who goes to the Games in China is therefore also accepting and complicit in supporting those human rights abuses as well.

The US is part of the IOC, and has an obligation as a member to support this organization. If it doesn't like where the IOC hold its events, the US can quit.

China is part of the UN. Does this mean that China should boycott going to the next UN General Assembly since it is in New York?

-8 ( +3 / -11 )

What does the US have to bargain with? Nothing. No one wants to buy American injury lawyers, InstaGram influencers or woke political agendas.

Nearly all the software that allows the smallest chipsets to be manufactured originates in the US. The US leads with medical technology, oil exploration, drilling and refining technology, distribution center technologies (the computer controlled sortation equipment that allows a package from one destination to be automatically sorted and delivered to the correct trailer going to the destination address and it's a thing of beauty to witness), robotic warehousing, aviation technologies, gas turbine engines (aviation and marine propulsion and natural gas powered "peakers"), biomechanics, mining equipment, construction equipment, printing and publishing equipment, etc. The manufacturing output of the US exceeds that of Japan and Germany combined but is unknown to most consumers because it is mostly very expensive industrial equipment. But high value added manufacturing is the only way to generate high wages. Making low priced but relatively labor intensive consumer goods like most clothing and footwear doesn't offer enough value added per worker to justify high wages.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

China called chicken and he US responded. Now we eagerly wait for the counter reply. I bet is somewhere along the lines "we don't really care if your diplomats come or not".

Funny but that is what the spokesflunky for the PRC Foreign Ministry basically said. Maybe they will care if/ when more nations do the same.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

@divinda: That's more like it! But actually it's people like you politicising the Olympics.

Try telling that to the Athletes who in many cases have to practice for months on end and hold a job down for very little financial gain, but for the love of Sport that they can't compete.

-10 ( +2 / -12 )

China could seriously hurt the US by cutting off many goods. The Chinese government has been telling the people to get ready to sacrifice.

Not really. There are non-Chinese made examples of just about anything you want to buy including computers and cell phones. Learn to read the label on what you buy. You will be surprised how many nations make stuff, and also how many products are made in the US. US trade with China amounts to about 2% of the US GDP. Losing it would not be a big deal for the US. It would hurt China a lot more.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Biden shows some teeth but not enough. If there were genocide, why wouldn’t the US impose full sanctions?

Put this alleged genocide with the list of lies of the Syrian government launching chemical weapons attack, the Iraqi vials of white detergent, the Gulf of Tonkin. The US is itching for conflict but China is not going to give it the pleasure.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

I think China will basically ignore this. They have already said that if athletes don't want to come to China for the Olympics, then don't come.

This is even more true for politicians and their minders who will refuse quarantine and spread Covid-19 all over Beijing. Look what happened in Tokyo.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

@divinda: That's more like it! But actually it's people like you politicising the Olympics.

How? I do not think the US should boycott and that they should not bring politics into the Games.

Try telling that to the Athletes who in many cases have to practice for months on end and hold a job down for very little financial gain, but for the love of Sport that they can't compete.

If the US makes the decision for full boycott, then they can tell the athletes that.

If an athlete makes the decision not to go themself (because they have grievances with the host country China) then the athlete can choose that themselves.

But the US has an obligation to BOTH the IOC and their own athletes to support them in their endeavors, and to be present to cheer them and oversee their safety and well being.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

I would prefer a complete boycott, but this will have to do!!

same here. Lets hope the rest of the world gets behind the US on this.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

China does not care, and have officially stated it.

So what if Jill Biden will not appear there for one day? The propoganda show will roll on.

The right thing to do is Boycott the Genocide Games, or at the very least make the athletes compete under the IOC flag as happened for many nations in Moscow.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Try telling that to the Athletes who in many cases have to practice for months on end and hold a job down for very little financial gain, but for the love of Sport that they can't compete.

It almost seems as if you are making the athletes into heroes or something similar.

The people I feel for are the victims of Communist China - Uighyur Muslims in concentration camps, Tibetans, HK democracy campaigners and other minorities.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

If the USA deem China Human right that bad, which it is. It sure is stupid allowing their competitors and officials without any state protection. I can see this ending up bad. Like someone ending up in prison for years over littering offense.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

No invitation was send, you can boycott all you want.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

I would prefer a complete boycott, but this will have to do!!

As China counts money from U.S. broadcasters and sponsors. This doesn't make a dent.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Excellent idea! I do feel for the athletes. @ Nomination - I agree with you, too. At least Biden is stronger than Suga was.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

A cowardly move by the US goverment, although they did not have the courage to make a total boycott of China, that shows that they fear the reaction that China may do in the future, anyway it is still a cowardly and belligerent move that doesn't help the situation in Asia-Pacific region, and that demonstrates the despair and impotence that the US has towards the great and inevitable advance of China.

In fact, with what morality comes the US to protest the Chinese games for the alleged aggressions to human rights when in the US human rights are violated every day and everywhere against all minorities??.. Again the double standard and immense hypocrisy of the US, this time politicizing world sport.

US can continue to bark at the moon, this will not affects the development of the Beijing games, much less affects China, in fact, who needs politicians in a sport event??..

People whether or not they like Beijing games will be a reality..

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Lets hope the rest of the world gets behind the US on this.

Because otherwise this move will look pretty stupid, right?

0 ( +4 / -4 )

The CCP is attempting to bully the whole world into submission like it does to its own people. The more push back the better.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

a calibrated rebuke of China's human rights record that stops short of preventing U.S. athletes from competing.

This to me is not a solution and should have been a full pull out. It still condones genocide and rewards the CCP so what are you really accomplishing? Many countries including my own need to start owning their enabling and put an end to it

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Also establishing full diplomatic relations with Taiwan on the day of Opening Ceremonies would be the next best thing

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I bet you a million bucks that Japan says, "We stand behind the US boycott and also support it, but please understand that we will not be boycotting diplomatically," to try an play both parties again.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

let me ask why just political boycott?

why half measure?

if you have real guts why not full boycott?

show your courage!

i believe that politics and sport should not be mixed.problems with Uyghur terrorism and islamic fundamentalism is chinese own business,as Uyghurs are chinese citizens,lives in China with valid chinese law and system.once again-its chinese interanl probelm no one country in world should meddel in.even USA.

once again-if you are that sure that you stand for your democracy that must be implemented in China as you want and you are against chinese internal policies-do full boycott.it happened in 1980 during Moscow olympics by western countries or in 1984 during LA olympics by eastern bloc countries.

we live in multipolar world where we need to accept each country sovereign right to manage own system and yes China is exception.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

why half measure?

because nations today are not based on ethics but money

5 ( +6 / -1 )

also doesn't say much about worldwide athletes who would have clearly known about China for years but turn a blind eye. Just another black eye to what the Olympics have become and why it should be closed

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Rather than all the boycott or not talk, we could just not have the Olympics this year. Maybe no other year ever again, sounds nice.

Functionally this does absolutely nothing. It isn't even really much of a symbolic gesture, because these diplomats weren't going to be invited by the CPC to begin with. Really easy to boycott an event you aren't invited to.

It reminds me of the WTA "cancelling" all their games in China that had been...cancelled a year earlier anyway.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

I expect American winners & medallists to do something controversial at podiums. Is live broadcast then shutdown? :)

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Functionally this does absolutely nothing. It isn't even really much of a symbolic gesture, because these diplomats weren't going to be invited by the CPC to begin with.

That's silly, of course they were. China knows their actions are looked down upon by the rest of the world, so they do their best to play the PR game. This is a major hit to them, as it focuses the world on the reasons why the US is not sending any delegates.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

It would’ve been bizarre for American diplomats to attend Olympic events in areas where minority groups in China are being attacked and discriminated against by the Chinese government.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

There will be no spectators anyway at the Winter Olympics so this is toothless posturing at its worst. The current POTUS cannot even pretend to be a paper tiger.

Yeah, it's not like he has the gumph to boycott the Olympics or anything...

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

It means nothing if the athletes still show up.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

U.S. announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics

Good. I am no friend of the Biden swamp administration, but for once they got something right. If individual athletes want to compete in the genocide Olympics under a neutral flag, that is up to them.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

I am no friend of the Biden swamp administration, but for once they got something right

Good on you for being able to acknowledge this. Most of our hyper-partisans will criticize no matter what.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

"The athletes on Team USA have our full support."

Oops, posted too soon. So they are still sending a team USA to the CCP propaganda circus? That should not happen. Once again, the Biden admin got it wrong.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

as it focuses the world on the reasons why the US is not sending any delegates

Don't think the world cares that much to focus on one of the US shenanigans

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Strangerland

Good on you for being able to acknowledge this. Most of our hyper-partisans will criticize no matter what.

Looking in the mirror here? There are some posters that would lambast the previous president for recommending getting enough sleep and eating breakfast. Tribe loyalty above all.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Something is VERY wrong with the world.

While this happens:

at least one million Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking, mostly Muslim minorities have been incarcerated in camps in Xinjiang, where China is also accused of forcibly sterilizing women and imposing forced labour.

This is lauded as "Powerful response":

Bob Menendez, the chair of the U.S. Senate foreign relations committee, welcomed the decision he called "a powerful rebuke of the Chinese Communist Party's campaign of genocide in Xinjiang."

He called on "other allies and partners that share our values to join with the United States in this diplomatic boycott."

So the whole genocide thing is either a lie, or the value of human life is really low worldwide, whereas a genocidal state is diplomatically condemned with ZERO action, and that is considered a "powerful response".

If the US knowns for a fact that the genocidal acts are true, then ACTIONS to stop it immediately and PUNISH China are the ones needed and the only thing that should be considered powerful is the obliteration of the perpetrators. What in the world??

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@smith. You don't have a million bucks, US or CAD

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Looking in the mirror here? There are some posters that would lambast the previous president for recommending getting enough sleep and eating breakfast.

I lamabasted his actions. I also commended them the few times he was right.

I'm a centrist. Drives both extremes crazy.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The US should try to solve its own internal problems before raising a finger at other countries. So much racial injustice occurs in America daily. Then there is their garbage political situation where there was almost a successful coup in the so called ‘ most democratic country “ in the world on January 6th! None of the actual instigators have been charged except the rioters! The US no longer has the right to tell other countries how to deal with their own internal issues! Fix your own divided country first!!!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

No one from the govt probably wants to go even if there was no diplomatic boycott, so might as well

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The US no longer has the right to tell other countries how to deal with their own internal issues!

They had that right?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

So the whole genocide thing is either a lie, or the value of human life is really low worldwide, whereas a genocidal state is diplomatically condemned with ZERO action, and that is considered a "powerful response".

This. You can’t just sit there if there is genocide. Even a full boycott is not enough. You should stop it. If the Uighurs are being killed, there would be people escaping from Xinjiang. Where are refugees?

Are they killed too? That’s why the Uighur population has grown over the last ten years; they are popping babies out faster than they’re killing them.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

A lot of posters here don’t seem to know just how thin-skinned this Chinese government is.

Well, educate us, don't keep it all to yourself!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@JimToday  04:28 pm JST

So much racial injustice occurs in America daily. Then there is their garbage political situation where there was almost a successful coup in the so called ‘ most democratic country “ in the world on January 6th!

Surely everything and everybody is not perfect in the US, nor anywhere in the world for that matter.

However that is a far cry from a blanket statement such as this, when all in all the US still offer the best opportunities for people from ALL OVER the world to achieve their dreams and goals. See immigration numbers and see successful stories amongst them.

Also the January 6th thing was neither a coup, nor an attempted coup nor an insurrection, it was a bunch of hooligans trespassing and disrupting congress, quite a nuisance and a dangerous one, but it could have never been a coup without an army behind them, and 2 insurrection was not as also no political party was behind it to FULLY supported and stand by the results of their attack. It is what it is.

Please process facts by yourself next time.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

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