U.S. would "pay a price" for erroneous actions on Beijing Winter Olympics: FM spokesperson

BEIJING, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- A foreign ministry spokesperson said Tuesday that the United States would "pay a price for its erroneous actions".

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks when talking about countermeasures China would take in response to the U.S. announcement of not sending any diplomatic or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics games.

"China deplores and firmly opposes to the remarks of the U.S. side," Zhao said at a daily press briefing. "China has lodged stern representations with the United States, and will respond with firm countermeasures."

The U.S. practice gravely violates the principle of political neutrality enshrined in the Olympic Charter, runs counter to the Olympic motto of "together," and stands on the opposite side of global athletes and sports fans, he said.

According to Olympic rules, officials are invited by their respective National Olympic Committee to attend the Olympic Games, and whether the U.S. officials will come to the Beijing Winter Olympics and root for their own athletes is the U.S. own business, Zhao said.

Despite not even being invited, the U.S. side linked its officials' attendance with the so-called human rights issues in Xinjiang, going down the wrong path further by distorting facts while cheating themselves as well as others, he added.

"The U.S. political agenda wins no supports and is doomed to fail," Zhao said.

Zhao urged the United States to stop politicizing sports and disrupting and undermining the Beijing Winter Olympics, lest it should affect bilateral dialogue and cooperation in important areas and international and regional issues.