epa09064793 Chinese President Xi Jinping claps during the the closing session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China, 10 March 2021. China holds two major annual political meetings, The National People?s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) which run alongside and together known as 'Lianghui' or 'Two Sessions'. EPA-EFE/ROMAN PILIPEY "Something we're considering," 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 U.S. 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 Feb. 4-20.
Activists and some members of Congress from both parties have been pressing the Biden administration to diplomatically boycott the event.
The U.S. government accuses China of carrying out a genocide against Muslim ethnic groups in its western Xinjiang region, accusations that Beijing denies. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Writing by Katharine Jackson; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Bill Berkrot)