The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said in a statement that it “fully respects” President Joe Biden-led United States administration's decision of diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympic Games 2022, which will be held in Beijing.
In a statement, the IOC said that the “presence of government officials and diplomats is a purely political decision for each government," which the committee in its “political neutrality fully respects.”
“At the same time, this announcement also makes clear that the Olympic Games and the participation of the athletes are beyond politics, and we welcome this,” the statement added.
In a move against China's “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity," White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday announced that US officials will not attend the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
US athletes will, however, participate in the Games, but the move will see the Biden administration not sending government officials to the sporting event. The same move will be followed in the Paralympic Games as well, according to CNN.
The IOC statement further stated that the support for athletes and the Olympics has been “expressed multiple times” recently, with the most recent being by the United Nations resolution entitled ‘Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic deal.’ The committee said that the resolution had been adopted by consensus of all 193 member states and also co-sponsored by 173 member states at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York last week.
{{/usCountry}}The IOC statement further stated that the support for athletes and the Olympics has been “expressed multiple times” recently, with the most recent being by the United Nations resolution entitled ‘Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic deal.’ The committee said that the resolution had been adopted by consensus of all 193 member states and also co-sponsored by 173 member states at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York last week.
{{/usCountry}}According to the resolution, all member states are required to cooperate with the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee in their “efforts to use sport as a tool to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation in areas of conflict” during and beyond the duration of the Olympic as well as Paralympic Games.
Meanwhile, China on Tuesday accused the US of flouting the Olympic spirit via the diplomatic boycott, saying that Washington will “pay for its practices.”
The US will pay a price for its practices. You may stay tuned for follow-ups," China's foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a daily ministry briefing earlier in the day without divulging details.
The Chinese foreign ministry also said that the US government is trying to interfere with the Winter Olympics “out of ideological prejudice and based on lies and rumours.”
Notably, the US is set to host the Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles.