Biden says he’s ‘considering’ diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics
President Biden said Thursday that he’s “considering” a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing amid ongoing tensions with China.
“It’s something we are considering,” Biden told reporters when asked about the boycott prior to an Oval Office meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Moments later, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said she had no update on any potential action, adding, “I want to leave the president the space to make decisions.”
The “diplomatic” boycott would be a half-measure that snubs the authoritarian nation by not sending high-level US officials to events like the opening or closing ceremonies. It would not ban US athletes from participating, as some Republican officials have demanded.
Biden held a virtual summit on Monday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but the two leaders did not discuss the Olympics, officials said.
According to the White House, Biden and Xi discussed more than a dozen topics, but it wasn’t clear whether other hot-button issues came up — such as China refusing to cooperate with investigations into the origins of COVID-19, which has killed more than 766,000 Americans, and China’s leading role exporting illegal fentanyl, which was responsible for almost two-thirds of the more than 100,000 US overdose deaths last year.
On Tuesday, Biden gave the impression that he might travel to the Olympics after reports emerged that the US would not send a formal delegation.
“I’m the delegation,” Biden said, forcing White House spokesman Chris Meagher to clarify that the comment was not an official decision.
The boycott debate has emerged following an outcry over the apparent disappearance of former pro tennis player Peng Shuai, who recently accused a former top Politburo member of forcing her to have sex with him.
So far, Biden has kept many of former President Donald Trump’s policies toward China, including tariffs on Chinese goods and sanctions on Chinese officials for eliminating Hong Kong’s autonomy and for mistreating Uyghur Muslim minorities. But Biden and his aides also mention potential cooperation on issues such as global warming.
