By: Tobiashus Swatherton
// A Predominantly Harmful Measure //
On December 6th, 2021, the Biden administration announced that it will stage a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The basis for the boycott is the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) human rights violations. America’s main concern is the genocide of the Uyghur people and the mass-surveilance of the Chinese population. However, Biden’s boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics will fail to change Chinese policies, negatively affect citizens of both nations, and worsen America’s relationship with China.
America’s boycott of the Olympics creates no incentive for any policy changes and does little to prevent the CCP’s human rights violations. Past Olympic boycotts have failed for the same reason. Take, for instance, America’s boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics in response to the 1979 USSR invasion of Afghanistan. It had no effect on the Soviet Union and its war with Afghanistan. The Soviet Union conducted business as usual and conducted a war that lasted for over nine years. If anything, the boycott had a positive effect on the USSR, as its athletes broke the record for the most medals won in a single game. If an athletic boycott had no effect on the Soviet Union, a mere diplomatic boycott will have even less of an effect on China. Rather than pursuing a boycott, the U.S. should create an incentive for China to eliminate its oppressive policies towards its people. If China were able to gain something from this exchange, they would be more willing to negotiate with America. One incentive could be offering to remove sanctions currently levied on China, like the ban on Huawei products in America. Such a situation could end the inhumane treatment of Uygurs without escalating tensions between the nations.
Even though the boycott will not impact China’s human rights violations, it may still create consequences for the United States. America’s diplomatic boycott will represent America’s first Olympic boycott since the 1980 Moscow Game during the Cold War. By treating China like the Soviet Union, America sends a clear signal to China. It will undoubtedly increase tensions between the two superpowers and could cause retaliation. After America’s boycott of the Moscow Olympics, Russia retaliated by boycotting America’s 1984 Olympics. America should expect that China may do the same. Evidently, similar symbolic gestures lead mostly to unfavorable outcomes and have few advantages.
Ultimately, China’s relationship with the United States matters. To understand the true importance of this relationship, it is helpful to look back to the countries’ relations during the Trump administration. When tension between the two nations reached its peak, a trade war began that harmed both nations’ economies. Collaboration undoubtedly represents a better path for both countries. The joint construction of the ISS between America and Russia (and other nations making minor contributions) is the epitome of putting aside differences to accomplish a goal. This happened only seven years after the end of the space race which was a competition to demonstrate both nations’ nuclear missile capabilities. By collaborating, the nations not only avoided a nuclear arms race, but revolutionized technology and science forever. Biden’s diplomatic boycott represents one of many barriers to collaboration and may stand as one of Biden’s worst foreign policy decisions yet.
All together, Biden’s boycott brings the United States’ one step closer to a cold war with China. Biden’s boycott will be remembered as an unproductive battle: it benefits neither the United States or China and harms both. Politicians should not imprudently harm civilians by pursuing rash, meaningless policy. To address the cruel and inhumane issues of the Uyghur Genocide, America should use diplomacy and not acts of agression.
