The Olympics represent a core bond holding together the international community. Athletic prowess, national pride, and competition come together in this age-old international event that brings significant economic advantages to the host country. The games can boost international tourism, trade, relations, and investments, which is why the United States will not be supporting the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China.

The Chinese government has long been known to engage in human rights violations. Prominent current examples include the genocide of Uyghur Muslims within their borders and government violence towards citizens in Tibet and Hong Kong as the two regions fight for their independence. The United States, as of December 7, 2021, is the only country to have declared this boycott. However, many other nations, such as Britain, France, Australia, Canada, and Japan, are facing significant pressure both internally and externally to follow suit and remove their support from the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The US involvement in the boycott will still allow athletes to compete, but US diplomats and officials will not be attending the games. The Chinese government has expressed its displeasure at this decision. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian stated, “Without being invited, American politicians keep hyping the so-called diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, which is purely wishful thinking and grandstanding. If the US side is bent on going its own way, China will take firm countermeasures.” These “firm countermeasures” are yet to be determined, but politicians and citizens around the world lie in wait to see what comes of this standoff between powers.