Secretary of State Blinken open to idea of Beijing Olympic games boycott, 'listening to concerns'

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has not ruled out the U.S. boycotting the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing, saying he's "listening to concerns."

"We’ve heard the many concerns around the world about the prospect of those Olympics given the actions that China has taken both at home in terms of its abuse of human rights when it comes to the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, other minorities, or, of course, what’s happening in Hong Kong," Blinken said Wednesday on Nippon TV, while in Japan on a diplomatic trip.

"We will continue to talk to other countries around the world to hear what they’re thinking, and at the appropriate time, we’ll decide what to do," Blinken said about 2022 games. "But for now, we’re just listening to the concerns we’ve heard expressed from many countries around the world,”

News from Blinken comes after the first independent investigation into China's treatment of the Uyghur population. The investigation found that China's treatment of the Muslim minority constituted genocide, according to CNN.

Blinken and President Biden agree with the assessment, according to The Epoch Times.

Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan are in Alaska on Thursday to meet with Chinese officials in diplomatic talks.