For U.S. Rep. John Katko, the Biden administration’s diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing doesn’t go far enough.
Katko, the top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, called for a full boycott in February. He wrote a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to boycott the Olympics in China due to the Chinese Communist Party’s human rights violations, namely its treatment of Uyghurs.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed at her briefing on Monday that the Biden administration would not send any diplomatic representatives to the Beijing Olympics “given the (People’s Republic of China’s) ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses.”
“The athletes on Team USA have our full support,” Psaki continued. “We will be behind them 100% as we cheer them on from home. We will not be contributing to the fanfare of the Games.”
Katko, R-Camillus, believes that the diplomatic boycott sends a message, but added that “it falls far short of the leadership that is needed to hold China accountable.”
“The Biden administration must be willing to take bold, decisive actions to stand up to Chinese human rights abuses, cyber aggression, and aggressive military provocations,” he said. “I again urge President Biden to hold the Chinese government accountable for their actions and endorse a full U.S. boycott of Beijing 2022. Handing China the Olympic Games is a soft power play that would only legitimize its authoritarian regime on the world stage.”
A full boycott would be significant. U.S. athletes would not compete at the Beijing Olympics. Other countries would likely follow the U.S. and not participate in the Winter Olympics.
The United States last boycotted the Olympics in 1980. That year, the Summer Olympics were held in Moscow, Russia. U.S. athletes did not compete at the Games. More than 60 other countries joined the boycott.
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