US Senators Propose Adding Boycott of China’s Winter Olympics to Defense Bill

US Senators Propose Adding Boycott of China’s Winter Olympics to Defense Bill
Participants transfer the Olympic flame from a cauldron at the ceremony to welcome the flame for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, in Beijing, China, on Oct. 20, 2021.Tingshu Wang/Reuters
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WASHINGTON—A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Thursday proposed an amendment to an annual defense policy bill that would impose a diplomatic boycott of China’s Winter Olympics—less than 100 days away—amid accusations of rights abuses by Beijing.

The amendment, led by Republican Senator Mitt Romney, mirrors language included in sweeping China-related legislation the Senate passed in June, and would prohibit the secretary of state from spending federal funds to “support or facilitate” the attendance of U.S. government employees at the Games.