U.S. will implement a diplomatic boycott on Beijing Winter Olympics -- China warns of “resolute countermeasures”

As tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to escalate, a Biden administration official has said that the U.S. will implement a diplomatic boycott on the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing.  

The Wall Street Journal broke the news on Monday morning.

The move, which has been rumored in recent weeks and will be officially announced later this week, will allow the U.S. to send a strong message to China without preventing U.S. athletes from competing.

On Monday morning, Chinese officials warned against the boycott, promising that China will take “countermeasures” if Washington prevents officials from attending the winter games.

At a news conference, China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, said Washington is “grandstanding” and should stop "so as not to affect the dialogue and cooperation between China and the United States in important areas."

"If the U.S. insists in willfully clinging to its course, China will take resolute countermeasures," he added.

President Joe Biden said last month that he was considering the boycott to protest China's human rights record, especially against the Uyghurs. Beijing has long been accused of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Muslim minority group.

The relationship between China and the U.S. has been further exacerbated in recent months by China’s military activity in the South China Sea.

Last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that there would be “terrible consequences” if China were to use military force against Taiwan – one of the West’s key strategic allies.

"I hope that China's leaders think very carefully about this and about not precipitating a crisis that would have, I think, terrible consequences for lots of people, and one that's in no one's interest, starting with China," Blinken said Friday.