Pelosi Calls for Diplomatic Boycott of 2022 Beijing Olympics, Says Corporate Sponsors ‘Looking the Other Way on China’s Abuses’

Congress’ Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission held a hearing Tuesday on China, calling out China on human rights abuses and questioning the decision to host the 2022 Olympics there.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and current Secretary of State Tony Blinken have said that China is engaged in genocide against the Uighur minority.

A few weeks ago there were rumblings of a potential Olympics boycott, after comments by a State Department spokesperson, but they later clarified “our position on the 2022 Olympics has not changed” and Blinken said in an interview a few days later talk of such a boycott is “premature.”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for a diplomatic boycott during Tuesday’s hearing.

“How sad it is,” she remarked, “to see the Olympic corporate sponsors look the other way on China’s abuses out of concern for their bottom line, with some even lobbying against the bipartisan Uighur forced labor bill.”

The Speaker went on to say she supports a diplomatic boycott:

“I don’t know if it’s possible, because we have not succeeded in the past. And I’m a big sports fan. I watch the Olympics in the middle of the night… To see the discipline, the focus, the dedication of our athletes out there is just a source of such pride. Let’s honor them at home. Let’s not honor the Chinese government by having heads of state go to China to show support for their athletes.”

You can watch the video above.