Wait, There’s a Diplomatic Boycott of the Winter Olympics in China?
On December 6, 2021, the White House announced it would be staging a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics as well as the Para Olympics in Beijing, China. According to WH Press Secretary Jen Psaki, the boycott was in response to the, “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses.”
For many Americans, this news might come as a shock. What genocide? Also, what’s a diplomatic boycott? Is Team USA still going to the Olympics? Let’s dig in here, and figure it out together.
First, what is a Diplomatic Boycott?
Ultimately, a diplomatic boycott means you will still get to see all of your favorite athletes compete, but there will be no official high-level delegation there from the United States. So, no Jill Biden cheering section this go around. What it achieves in practice is to place an asterisk on this Olympics. In short, a diplomatic boycott won’t stop a genocide, but it is a way for governments to make a public statement against it.
As Teen Vogue notes, there have been many calls for boycotts throughout the years, but…
