The Biden administration is expected to announce a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, reports said. The announcement is expected to be made this week.
The decision means that no officials from the United States will attend next year's games in Beijing, though American athletes may still compete.
The Olympics are scheduled to begin on February 4.
Biden indicated last month, just days after virtually meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, that the U.S. was considering such a boycott. The Olympics were not discussed during that meeting.
At the time, the White House stated that Biden expressed "strong concerns" about China-related issues, including alleged human rights violations.
"There are a variety of considerations that go into determining our level of participation," U.S. Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, though she did not elaborate on what a diplomatic boycott might entail.
The National Security Council, which was meeting confidentially to discuss the boycott, declined to comment to Reuters, which said that multiple sources confirmed the looming diplomatic boycott.
Because U.S. competitors are scheduled to compete, the move does not represent a full boycott, as it did during former President Jimmy Carter's administration of the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
In March, Utah Senator Mitt Romney (R) advocated for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing games.
China has also been embroiled in a number of issues in recent years in the sports world.
Daryl Morey, the former general manager of the Houston Rockets, tweeted his support for Hong Kong in 2019, sparking outrage, and Enes Kanter Freedom has been vocal on China-related topics while playing for the Boston Celtics this season.
The diplomatic boycott will have no effect on any U.S. athletes competing in the next Winter Games in Beijing. All athletes that travel will be permitted to participate.
Instead, Biden's directive would prohibit any American officials or dignitaries from attending the Games. For instance, First Lady Jill Biden accompanied the U.S. delegation to the Tokyo Olympics last year. Such a delegation will no longer exist in Beijing.
Biden has long contended that democracies are better capable of delivering than autocracies such as China, and he has used the bipartisan infrastructure bill to demonstrate how political parties in democracies can cooperate.
Meanwhile, Officials from the Chinese government have warned of a "strong Chinese response" if the United States or other countries decide to boycott the country.
