NASHVILLE, TN—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, today released the following statement after the Biden Administration formally announced that it would impose a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Communist China:
“While I have called for the United States and other nations to impose a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics, this is the bare minimum, and President Biden should do more to hold accountable the Chinese Communist Party. What President Biden should do is insist that the International Olympic Committee move the Olympics from Beijing. The United States should lead the world in protecting not only our own athletes, but all athletes from the malign behavior of the Chinese Communist Party as evidenced by the recent disappearance of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai. I am supportive of our Olympic athletes and all of their talent and work, but allowing them to be targeted and used by Communist China to somehow distract from its horrible acts of genocide against Uyghurs and other human rights abuses, violent suppression of free speech and assembly, erasure of Hong Kong’s autonomy and democracy, and growing military threats against Taiwan and other U.S. Allies and partners demonstrates appeasement and weakness. President Biden knows that these winter games must be moved because the United States should not play part in bolstering the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party.”