US Signals Possible Boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics... "Condemning Uyghur Forced Labor"

US State Department "Discussions Ongoing with Allies... No Decisions Made"
Political Circles Call for Venue Change or Boycott
Consulting Group "Countries with Complex Relations with China Like Korea and Japan Likely to Find Boycott Difficult"

Ned Price, U.S. Department of State Spokesperson
Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] There is a possibility that the United States may boycott the Winter Olympics scheduled to be held in Beijing, China, in February next year. As Western countries' criticism intensifies over the issue of forced labor involving the Uyghur ethnic group in China's Xinjiang region, it is observed that the repercussions of this political conflict have extended to the Olympics.

On the 6th (local time), Ned Price, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, responded at a regular briefing to reporters' questions about whether the U.S. intends to join other countries in boycotting the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics to condemn the forced labor of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, saying, "We are currently in discussions with our allies." He also stated, "The issue of Olympic participation is not something the U.S. should handle unilaterally but should be addressed in solidarity with all our allies."

Spokesperson Price added, "There is still a lot of time until the Beijing Olympics," and "(Although we do not know when a final decision will be made) discussions are ongoing."

However, regarding the U.S. State Department's remarks hinting at a possible boycott of the Beijing Olympics, the U.S. Olympic Committee has not issued any statement.

Calls for Beijing Winter Olympics Boycott Also Rising in U.S. Political Circles

After the regular briefing that day, the U.S. government appeared cautious about overinterpreting the possibility of a boycott of the Beijing Olympics. Spokesperson Price tweeted shortly after the briefing, "Nothing has been decided regarding the Beijing Olympics." The White House spokesperson also stated at a regular briefing on the 2nd that the government has no intention to decide on a boycott and that "the final authority on Olympic participation lies with the Olympic Committee."

The U.S. Olympic Committee has expressed no intention to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics. Last month, Susan Lyons, chairwoman of the U.S. Olympic Committee, told reporters, "We oppose the boycott itself," adding, "It would only cause devastating harm to athletes who have trained their entire lives to represent our country at the Games." She further noted that human rights issues should be resolved through diplomatic channels between governments.

Within U.S. political circles, voices calling for an Olympic boycott are growing louder. In February, some members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Representative Michael Waltz, introduced a resolution urging the U.S. government to either relocate the 2022 Winter Olympics or boycott the event. Additionally, on the 6th, Republican Senator Rick Scott urged President Joe Biden to move the 2022 Winter Olympics to the United States. He stated, "It is time for President Biden to send a clear message that he will not tolerate the genocide of the Uyghur people in China," calling for an Olympic boycott.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Political Consulting Group: "High Possibility Western Countries Will Join Boycott... Countries with Complex Relations with China, Such as South Korea, Likely to Find Boycott Difficult"

Regarding the controversy over the boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, there is an analysis that the diplomatic conflict between Western countries and China over the human rights issues of the Uyghurs has extended its influence to the Olympics. The call for a collective boycott of the Winter Olympics is interpreted as a move by Western countries to pressure China in solidarity.

The political consulting group Eurasia Group assessed the boycott movement of the Beijing Olympics, stating, "There is a 60% probability that major Western countries, including the United States, will participate in a collective boycott." Eurasia Group analysts predicted, "However, countries with complex geopolitical relations with China, such as South Korea, Japan, and India, will find it difficult to join the collective boycott."

Eurasia Group also stated, "There is a 30% chance that Western governments will indirectly pressure their athletes not to participate in the Olympics," adding, "Other possible scenarios include economic pressure such as preventing American spectators from traveling to China or companies canceling Olympic sponsorships."

If Collective Boycott Materializes, China May Retaliate

If a boycott becomes a reality, China's plan to use the upcoming Winter Olympics to widely promote a positive national brand image will be severely impacted. Consequently, China may retaliate against countries that boycott the Olympics. Eurasia Group predicted, "China may employ measures such as not participating in important events hosted by Western countries or imposing economic retaliation on companies that join the Winter Olympics boycott."

Following recent revelations that Uyghurs have been forcibly mobilized for cotton production in China's Xinjiang region, the world's largest cotton producer, Western countries have continued to voice critical opinions of China. Last month, the United States, in solidarity with the United Kingdom, the European Union (EU), and Canada, implemented joint sanctions against Chinese officials linked to Uyghur forced labor.

China denies the forced labor allegations, claiming that the Uyghur detention centers are vocational training centers designed to provide education and training.

The appearance of a Uyghur detention center located in the Xinjiang region of China [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.