Olympic Boycott Relay in China... Will the US Change Its Position?

Dutch Parliament Resolution on "Genocide of Uyghurs in China"

(Source: REUTERS / Tingshu Wang)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The international community's movement to strip China of the right to host next year's Winter Olympics is spreading, amid criticism that the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is oppressing ethnic minorities.

On the 25th (local time), the White House stated that the United States' participation in the Beijing Winter Olympics next February has "not been finally decided." White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a press briefing, "No final decision has been made regarding participation in the Beijing Winter Olympics," and added, "We will seek guidance from the U.S. Olympic Committee."

This statement came as some countries, including Canada, expressed the possibility of boycotting the Beijing Winter Olympics.

U.S. economic media CNBC interpreted the remarks as hinting at a potential boycott. CNBC reported, "This statement differs from the earlier position earlier this month that there was 'no change in participation plans.'" On the 3rd, the White House had said, "Currently, there are no ongoing discussions about changes to the U.S. plans for participation in the Winter Olympics."

Republican lawmakers have urged President Joe Biden to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics or relocate the host city to another country. Senator Rick Scott and others recently submitted a resolution to withdraw the Beijing Winter Olympics, citing the Xinjiang Uygur genocide as a reason to reconsider the host location. Foreign media noted that it remains to be seen whether the Biden administration, which has designated China as the greatest threat, will use this movement as leverage to pressure China.

On the same day, the Dutch parliament passed a resolution stating that "China's treatment of the Uygurs constitutes genocide." Although non-binding, this resolution made the Netherlands the first European Union (EU) country to officially classify China's oppression of the Uygurs as "genocide." The resolution condemned the ongoing genocide against the ethnic minority Uygurs in China, stating it violates the United Nations Genocide Convention, which came into effect in 1948.

However, the resolution did not directly mention the Chinese government's responsibility. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte voted against the resolution, and Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok expressed that he did not want to use the term "genocide."

Earlier, on the 22nd, the Canadian parliament passed a resolution declaring that China is committing genocide against the Uygurs. The resolution urged the Canadian government to request the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to change the host city of the Beijing Winter Olympics if the genocide continues.

On the same day, the United Kingdom criticized the situation in Xinjiang as "out of order" but rejected calls to boycott the Olympics. According to the BBC, Foreign Minister Stef Blok said the government did not want to use the term "genocide." A spokesperson for the British Olympic Association (BOA) stated, "We do not believe boycotting the Winter Olympics is the right solution," and supported Prime Minister Johnson's position, saying, "Athletes who have trained their whole lives for this moment should compete and represent their country."