China has threatened “firm countermeasures” if the U.S. partakes in a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

On Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters that participation in the boycott would be an “outright political provocation.”

“Without being invited, American politicians keep hyping the so-called diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, which is purely wishful thinking and grandstanding,” Lijian told reporters.

“If the U.S. side is bent on going its own way, China will take firm countermeasures,” he added.

President Joe Biden previously stated he was considering the boycott to protest China’s human rights history. On Monday, numerous outlets, including Reuters and the Associated Press, reported that the Biden administration is expected to announce that U.S government officials will not attend the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Should the boycott take place, American athletes would still compete in the games but dignitaries would not be present at the event in which China plans to show off its technological accomplishments and economic development.

In the past, the U.S. has sent high-profile delegates to attend Olympic games such as former president George W. Bush’s attendance at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Summer Games.

Most recently, second gentleman Doug Emhoff headed the delegation for the 2021 Paralympic Games, while First Lady Jill Biden led the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Despite the lack of an official plan for the US to implement a so-called diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, several lawmakers have already publicly praised the idea
Despite the lack of an official plan for the US to implement a so-called diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, several lawmakers have already publicly praised the idea AFP / FRED DUFOUR
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