蜜芽传媒

The US has announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in China - a move that has been heavily criticised by Beijing. The White House said no official delegation would be sent to the Games because of concerns about China's human rights record but it said US athletes could attend and would have the government's full support. China has previously said it will take "resolute countermeasures" in the event of a boycott.

Following the US announcement, New Zealand and Lithuania have said they would also not be sending a diplomatic delegation. Other countries, including the UK and Australia, are said to be considering boycotts.

Emily Feng, a journalist with US National Public Radio in Beijing, says that no details of what the "countermeasures" might be have been released yet and that some discussion about the boycott has been censored on Chinese social media.

"So far, Beijing's response has been muted as their official line is to play down the US diplomatic boycott."

Photo: Activists rally in Los Angeles, California on November 3, 2021, calling for a boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Credit: Getty Images

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