Beijing Olympics: Will countries announce a boycott of the 2022 winter games?

There have been growing calls to boycott the 2022 Olympics or move it from Beijing because of China’s human rights record, reports Akshita Jain

A man walks in front of the logos of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics at National Aquatics Centre on 9 April 2021 in Beijing (Getty)

Even as uncertainty remains about the delayed Tokyo Olympics, the 2022 winter games set in Beijing have already started grabbing attention because of China’s human rights record.

There has been increasing pressure on countries and sponsors to not participate in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games and this month it seemed that the United States also put its weight behind boycott calls. A US State Department spokesperson said that it was “one of the issues that is on the agenda”, although a senior official later said that a boycott has not yet been discussed.

No country has yet officially announced a boycott, nor is it clear that any will, but the US official’s statement spurred a debate on how to approach China and the 2022 games which open on 4 February next year. Human rights groups have called either for a boycott or demanded that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) move the event out of Beijing.