BY
The Biden administration's decision this week to announce a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing has angered China and could trigger a snowball of similar actions by other major governments.
The United States and others have accused Beijing of carrying out policies amounting to genocide and crimes against humanity against millions of Uyghurs and other mainly Muslim minority groups living in northwest China. Discussions about the most appropriate response have been ongoing for months.
China is seeking to both discourage and preempt boycotts by warning against the "politicization of sport." It has also threatened unspecified "countermeasures" should anyone take the symbolic step to protest Beijing's actions during a sensitive period for the reputation and legitimacy of the Chinese leadership, including Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping, who will expect a successful Winter Games to propel him toward an unprecedented third term in office next fall.
Many capitals may opt-out of a coordinated diplomatic boycott for fear of embarrassing and therefore antagonizing the Chinese government; others may quietly downgrade their Olympic delegation and not send any senior representatives at all while choosing not to publicize the decision for similar reasons.
Here is the growing list of countries that are using Beijing 2022 to take a very public stand against the People's Republic of China's (PRC) controversial policies.
United States
The U.S.'s diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Games was officially confirmed by White House press secretary Jen Psaki on December 6.
"The Biden administration will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games given the PRC's ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses," Psaki said.
"U.S. diplomatic or official representation would treat these games as business as usual in the face of the PRC's egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang. And we simply can't do that."
The government-level boycott means it doesn't extend to athletes. Team USA has been clear about its desire for American sportspersons to compete in Beijing when the competition opens on February 4. Psaki said they would have the White House's "full support."
The idea of a diplomatic boycott is not new. It was floated as far back as May by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who riled Chinese officials with her suggestion at the time.
Following Psaki's confirmation, the State Department said it expected more countries to announce their decision "in the coming days and weeks." Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the U.S. would "pay a price" for its decision.
Lithuania
The Baltic nation was technically the first to publicly confirm its intention to boycott Beijing 2022 at an official level. On December 3, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said neither he nor any of his ministers would be attending the Games.
The decision was expected. Vilnius and Beijing have been embroiled in a diplomatic spat since August, when Lithuania confirmed plans to allow Taiwan a de facto embassy in its capital, with a Lithuanian counterpart scheduled to open in Taipei in 2022.
When the officially unofficial Taiwanese Representative Office began its operations in Vilnius in November, China downgraded its diplomatic presence in Lithuania and ordered the European Union member state to do the same for its office in Beijing.
Lithuania is the first and only EU member to announce a diplomatic boycott so far.
New Zealand
New Zealand's quasi-diplomatic boycott was announced by Sport Minister Grant Robertson on December 7, when he told reporters none of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's cabinet members would be attending the Winter Olympics in China.
Robertson, who is also the country's deputy prime minister, was cautious with his reasoning. He said the decision was made after considering a "range of factors," chief among them logistical constraints associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the decision was relayed to the Chinese government in October, with New Zealand athletes expected to receive support from diplomatic staff.
Scotland
Scotland's Sport Minister Maree Todd confirmed the country's planned diplomatic boycott in a written response to Scottish parliamentarian Ross Greer on December 7.
Todd said: "The Scottish Government continues to be deeply concerned by reports of serious, widespread and systemic human rights abuses committed against members of the Uyghur and other minority ethnic communities in Xinjiang, as well as by China's overall record of human rights violations, including in Tibet and in Hong Kong."
No Scottish ministers or government officials will be present at the Olympics in Beijing next February, she said.
Australia
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a diplomatic boycott of Beijing 2022 on December 8, saying the decision should come as "no surprise" given deteriorating relations with China beginning in spring 2020, when he called for an independent investigation into the origins of the coronavirus.
"I'm doing it because it's in Australia's national interest," said Morrison, who noted the boycott was a response to China's "human rights abuses" in Xinjiang as well as "many other issues" that have concerned Canberra.
In the hours following the prime minister's statement, China's Foreign Ministry said "no one cares" whether Australian officials attend the Winter Olympics next year.
United Kingdom
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson took two attempts to confirm the U.K.'s diplomatic boycott on December 8, but he did so while stressing his opposition to the action on both occasions.
In response to a question by former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith, Johnson told the House of Commons there would be "effectively a diplomatic boycott" of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. No ministers or officials are expected to attend, he said.
"The government has no hesitation in raising these issues with China, as I did with President Xi the last time I talked to him," the British prime minister said of China's human rights abuses. "I do not think that sporting boycotts are sensible, and that remains the policy of the government."
Earlier, Johnson was asked a similar question by the Scottish National Party's Westminster Deputy Leader Kirsten Oswald.
"We do not support sporting boycotts," he said, but added there were "no plans for ministers to attend."
Canada
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada's diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Olympics on December 8, confirming that no federal government officials will attend the games.
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Trudeau said his administration is "extremely concerned" by the "repeated human rights violations carried out by the Chinese government."
"I don't think the decision by Canada or by many other countries to choose to not send diplomatic representation to the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics is going to come as a surprise to China," Trudeau said. "We have been very clear over the past many years of our deep concerns around human rights violations."
Trudeau added that Canadian athletes will still compete at the games.
"Our athletes have been training for years and are looking forward to competing at the highest level against athletes from around the world, and they will continue to have all of our fullest support as they show the extraordinary success that Canada has at Winter Olympic Games," the prime minister said. "They need to have one thing in mind and that's representing the country to the best of their ability and winning a gold medal for Canada."
The last time Canada pursued a full boycott of an Olympic Games was in 1980, when Trudeau's father, former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, blocked athletes from participating in Moscow's summer games to protest of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan.
UPDATE 12/8/21 2:05 p.m. ET: This article was updated to include Canada.
