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The U.S. announces a boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
The White House will not send officials to the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, as a protest of China's human rights abuses. (1:45)
3:13 AM
China accused the United States of violating the Olympic spirit by announcing a boycott of the Beijing Winter Games.
The U.S. is trying to interfere with the Beijing Winter Olympics out of ideological prejudice and based on rumors, according to a Foreign Ministry spokesman.
The boycott runs counter to the Olympic motto "more united" and violates the principle of political neutrality established by the Olympic Charter.
On the previous day, he promised that China would respond with "resolute countermeasures".
The U.S. will pay a price for what it does. "You may stay alert for follow-ups," he said.
His comments came after a lot of Chinese criticism of the announcement by the Biden administration.
The White House will support the athletes competing at the Games, but won't send diplomats or officials, Jen Psaki said on Monday.
The U.S. will not be contributing to the fanfare of the Games.
As the U.S. tries to repair relations with Beijing, it maintains a tough approach toward trade and conflicts over China's actions on Taiwan, Hong Kong, the South China Sea and the treatment of ethnic minorities, particularly Muslim Uyghurs.
Beijing has retaliated against the U.S. criticisms by imposing visa bans on American politicians it considers to be anti-China.
"If the U.S. continues to undermine the Beijing Winter Olympics, it will undermine the dialogue and cooperation between the two countries in a number of important areas and international issues," said Zhao.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington said that politicians were doing so for their own political interests.
The embassy said that no one would care about whether these people come or not, and that it had no impact on the Beijing2022 successfully held.
China's mission to the UN called the boycott a farce.
The U.S. wants to create divisions and provoke confrontation.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party responded to the criticism of the Olympic Charter with a statement on its website.
The article said that some Western anti-China politicians have shown a "defensive Cold War mentality aimed at politicizing sport" and that it was a challenge to all people who love the Olympic movement.
It wasn't clear which officials Washington might have sent, and no invitation had been extended by China.
The president of the International Olympic Committee told a German news agency that the Olympics cannot solve problems that politicians have not solved.
Shortly before the U.S. announced its decision, the US's ambassador to the UN said what was the responsibility and limits of the country. The responsibility of the Games is to run in accordance with the Olympic Charter, and to bring together the athletes from 206 teams and the IOC refugee team under one roof.
Expectations that the Olympics can change a country's political system or its laws are overstated. Generations of politicians have not solved problems that the Olympics can't solve.
The U.S.'s lead hasn't been followed by other major countries. The significance of the Olympic Games and the significance of Japan's diplomacy will be taken into account when Japan makes its own decision, according to the Prime Minister. This is the attitude of our country.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said it was not clear what the diplomatic boycott meant and that a decision on officials attending would be made at an appropriate time.
Matsuno said that Japan hopes that the Beijing Winter Games will be a celebration of peace in line with the principles of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry has not received a request from the U.S. to not send officials, and has not commented on adiplomatic decision made by the government of another country.
South Korea hopes the Beijing Olympics will improve relations between the two countries.
New Zealand will not be attending the Games at a diplomatic level, but it made the decision earlier due to the travel restrictions.
Grant Robertson said that New Zealand told China that it wouldn't send ministers.
Robertson said that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had raised her concerns about human rights with the Chinese President.
Australia has yet to say if it will send a delegation to China.
The sending of high-level delegations to the Olympics has been a tradition among the US and other leading nations. Bush attended the opening of the Beijing Olympics. The American contingent to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo was led by the first lady, and the second gentleman led the delegation to the Paralympics.
The Associated Press contributed to the report.
