Joe Biden and US diplomats, New Zealand and Australian diplomats are all staying home while Vladimir Putin may attend the 24th Winter Olympics in Beijing which is due to open in less than two months—the diplomatic sit-out intends to protest China's repressive policies
A view of National Ski Jumping Centre, Zhangjiakou, one of the venues of the 2022 Winter Olympics in China?
Tingshu Wang / Reuters
SEOUL — Neither President Joe Biden nor other U.S. officials are going, but the Russian leader might. New Zealand says it decided months ago that its diplomats would not be attending. On Wednesday, Australia said its officials would be staying home, too. Political leaders of other nations are expected to bow out, too, whether they announce an explicit reason or not.
In less than two months, China will open the 24th Winter Olympics in Beijing under the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic and now also a diplomatic boycott intended to protest the host country’s repressive policies.
The White House announcement on Monday that it would send no official delegation prompted anger in Beijing, where Chinese officials on Tuesday once again vowed to retaliate.
“This will only make people see the sinister intentions of the American side and will only make the American side lose more morality and credibility,” said a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zhao Lijian.
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