China on Friday urged the United States not to politicize sports, as the administration of President Joe Biden has not clarified whether his nation will join the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
"The politicization of sports is against the spirit of the Olympic Charter and damages the interests of athletes from all countries," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a press briefing.
China has been facing Olympic boycotts by other nations critical of its alleged human rights abuses in the country's regions including Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang.
Wang's remarks came a day after White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Thursday that the Biden administration has not made a "final decision" on the participation in the Beijing Games, while looking for guidance from the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Many organizations worldwide have also called on the International Olympic Committee to reverse its decision to allow Beijing to host the 2022 Games.
Wang said, "We firmly believe that the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will surely become an extraordinary and remarkable event through the joint efforts of all parties."
If the Olympics are held as scheduled in February next year in the Chinese capital, Beijing would become the first city to have hosted both the summer and winter games.
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