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Beijing 2022 Olympics: China warns it will respond if US announces diplomatic boycott
- Washington reportedly set to decide that government officials will not attend the Games, in protest at China’s human rights record
- Chinese foreign ministry says such an action could ‘affect the dialogue and cooperation between China and the United States’
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US politicians should stop calling for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics to avoid hurting bilateral ties and China will take “countermeasures” if necessary, China’s foreign ministry said on Monday.
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The Biden administration is expected to announce this week that US government officials will not attend the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, CNN reported on Sunday.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said those calling for a boycott were “grandstanding” and should stop “so as not to affect the dialogue and cooperation between China and the United States in important areas”.
“If the US insists on wilfully clinging to its course, China will take resolute countermeasures,” Zhao said.
US President Joe Biden said last month that he was considering such a diplomatic boycott to protest against China’s human rights record, including what Washington says is genocide against minority Muslims. The administration has been under pressure from activists and members of Congress to skip the Games.
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