President Biden Says USA Is 'Considering' Diplomatic Boycott of 2022 Beijing Olympics

President Joe Biden said Thursday a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China is "something we're considering," per the Associated Press.

Athletes would still be able to compete in the games, but a diplomatic boycott would keep American dignitaries from attending. First Lady Jill Biden led the American delegation at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

There have been calls for a boycott of the Olympics amid reported human rights violations in China, including the government's treatment of Uyghurs. 

A protest took place at the Olympic torch lighting in October, calling the upcoming event the "genocide games."

The International Olympic Committee has said that it will "remain neutral" on the issue. 

"Our responsibility is to deliver the Games, which are an amazing thing for the world,” spokesperson Mark Adams said in July, per Stephen Wade of the Associated Press. "That is our responsibility. It is the responsibility of others—the United Nations, who have been very supportive of the Olympic Games, and governments to deal with this—and not for us."

A number of human rights advocates and organizations have criticized the IOC's decision to hold the Games in Beijing. The International Trade Union Confederation released a report in early November which alleged a number of human rights abuses by China, including: "forced labor, jailing of trade unionists and democracy defenders in Hong Kong, intimidation of the nation’s LBGTI community, and repression of ethnic and religious minorities under the pretext of 'anti-separatism and counterterrorism,'" per Wade.

The Beijing Olympics are scheduled to begin on Feb. 4, 2022.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said there is no timeline for Biden's decision on a potential boycott.