Activists have been calling for the boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics for months, citing human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Tibet and the political suppression of Hong Kong.

Many countries have accused Beijing of imprisoning Muslim-majority Uyghurs in Xinjiang where detainees have claimed to have been tortured, raped, and even forcibly sterilized.

“Since 2017, when President Xi Jinping issued an order saying all religions in China should be Chinese in orientation, there have been further crackdowns. Campaigners say China is trying to eradicate Uyghur culture.” (BBC News)

In response to these allegations, Beijing, China’s capital, has strongly denied any misconduct saying that camps are “reeducation centers designed to fight separatism and Islamist terrorism in the far western region” according to CNN.

President Joe Biden’s administration announced on Monday, December 6th that they would not be sending any US government officials to the winter games. Following the US’ announcement, New Zealand also said that it would not be sending delegates to the Beijing Games.

The UK, Australia, and other countries were said to be discussing a boycott of the games as well. On Wednesday, December 8th Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada announced that they would also be keeping delegates at home and would not be attending.

"There will be effectively a diplomatic boycott... there will be a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. No ministers are expected to attend," UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the House of Commons.



Although this boycott isn’t a true protest of the games considering that although diplomats will not be attending, athletes will still participate in the games.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki who announced the boycott on Monday, stated that the US government did not feel "it was the right step to penalize athletes who had been training for this moment", but that not sending an official US delegation to the 2022 Games "could send a clear message".

This makes the boycott “more symbolic than substantial” according to Zhiqun Zhu, a professor of political science and international relations at Bucknell University. Since this won’t take much attention away from the glitz and glamour of the games, many are speculating that it won’t do much.

“Those politicians who clamor to boycott for political self-interest are showing off and hyping things up, no one cares whether they come or not,” China’s foreign ministry said in a statement following reports of Australia’s possible boycott. “It has no influence on Beijing’s success in hosting the Olympics.” China's Washington embassy also spoke on the announcement, calling the boycott a "grave distortion of the spirit of the Olympic Charter".

"No-one would care about whether these people come or not, and it has no impact whatsoever on the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics to be successfully held," said spokesman Liu Pengyu, quoted by Reuters.

However minor the protest may seem, this doesn’t mean that the boycott comes without consequences. With many countries participating in the boycott, this could affect political relations, which could have repercussions with global issues, such as climate change or the Iran nuclear deal.



Looking back at previous boycotts, there are still limits to how effective it could be. It doesn’t seem like a boycott could help to stop the mistreatment, torture, and potential genocide of Uyghurs.

Learn more about the kidnapping and disappearance of Uyghurs, China’s largest minority.

BBC World News: Why China is being accused of genocide.

My source information about the boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics

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