The United States is considering a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics, President Joe Biden confirmed on Thursday, a move that would be aimed at protesting China's human rights practices.
"Something we're considering," Mr Biden said when asked if a diplomatic boycott was under consideration as he sat down for a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
A diplomatic boycott would mean that a delegation of US officials would not attend the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics in February.
Governments typically send a high-ranking delegation of diplomats to opening ceremonies in a show of international support for the thousands of athletes from around the world who participate.
The 2022 Winter Olympics run from the 4 to 20 February.
Activists and some members of Congress from both parties have been pressing the Biden administration to diplomatically boycott the event.
The US government accuses China of carrying out a genocide against Muslim ethnic groups in its western Xinjiang region, accusations that Beijing denies.
White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said on Thursday that US consideration of a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing is driven by concerns about human rights practices in Xinjiang province.
"There are areas that we do have concerns: human rights abuses," Ms Psaki told reporters. "We have serious concerns."
