BEIJING: China has hit out at US President Joe Biden for considering a diplomatic boycott of next year's Beijing Games, saying politicising sports violates the Olympic spirit and undermines the interests of all athletes.
President Joe Biden confirmed on Thursday that he is mulling a US diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing.
"It's something we're considering," Biden told reporters in the Oval Office following a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
A senior administration official told CNN on Wednesday that Biden is not expected to attend the upcoming Olympics in China this February and that his administration is on the verge of implementing a diplomatic boycott of the games.
Reacting to Biden's remarks, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the US "falsely accuses" China of committing genocide and forced labour in Xinjiang.
"The 2022 Winter Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games in Beijing are the stages for athletes from all over the world, and they are the real protagonists of the upcoming Games," Zhao Lijian said."Any politicization of sport violates the Olympic spirit and harms the interests of athletes of all countries," the spokesman added.
Human rights activists have raised their voices against China's detention of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province and crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
In March, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union imposed sanctions on four Chinese officials and one entity for alleged human rights violations in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to Sputnik.