China threatened to take action against the U.S. over an expected diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The Biden administration is expected to announce this week that no U.S. government officials will attend the Winter Olympics, sending a message to China without preventing athletes from competing, the Daily Wire reports.
However, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian claimed the U.S. was never invited anyway.
“Without being invited, American politicians keep hyping the so-called diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympic, which is purely wishful thinking and grandstanding,” Zhao said. “If the U.S. side is bent on going its own way, China will take firm countermeasures.”
The expected boycott comes as the U.S. attempts to stabilize its relationship with China following a tough approach toward trade, China’s actions on Taiwan, human rights, Hong Kong and the South China Sea.