U.S. plans diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said such a move would be an “outright political provocation,” but gave no details on how China might retaliate.

The U.S. will stage a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing to protest Chinese human rights abuses, the White House confirmed Monday — a move that China has vowed to greet with “firm countermeasures”.

“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,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters during Monday’s briefing.

She said that U.S. athletes will continue to compete and will “have our full support,” but added “we will not be contributing to the fanfare of the games.”