The U.S. will not be sending officials to the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Beijing due to ongoing human rights issues in the People’s Republic of China.
The government issued an official diplomatic boycott in response to human rights violations targeted against the Uyghur population. The announcement came in a press briefing on Dec. 6 by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, who said while the Biden Administration fully supports its athletes, “standing up for human rights is in the DNA of Americans.”
“The Biden Administration will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics games given the PRC's ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang,” Psaki said in the press briefing transcribed by the White House.
Athletes from the U.S. will still be allowed to compete. Psaki stated that the country will not be pressuring allies to follow suit, but that they have been notified of the decision, the briefing said.
Uyghurs in China have been treated especially terribly in the renewable energy industry. It is estimated that 45% of the world’s solar-grade polysilicon is the product of Uygher forced labor. This material makes up 95% of the world’s solar modules. There have been reports of labor transfer programs as well as torture, forced sterilization and forced marriages between Uyghurs and non-Uyghur.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who has been against China holding the Olympic Games as far back as 1993, released a statement Dec. 6 praising the decision. She said the last three decades of abusive actions have shown the world cannot just hope Beijing’s behavior will change and it is time for the international community to speak out against the genocide of the Uyghurs, the repression of the Tibetan people and “assault on basic freedoms” in Hong Kong and the mainland.
“While we must support and celebrate our athletes, America – and the world – cannot give our official imprimatur to these games or proceed as if there is nothing wrong with holding the Olympics in a country perpetrating genocide and mass human rights violations,” Pelosi said in the release.
The House of Representatives will vote on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act this week to “hold Beijing to account and to stand up for human dignity and freedom in the region and around the world,” Pelosi said in the release.
