Those who want to strike are “good” and must stop “so as not to affect the dialogue and cooperation between China and the United States in key areas,” said Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry. “If the US continues to deliberately follow its policy, China will take strong action,” he told a news conference.

U.S. President Joe Biden said last month he was considering a political strike to protest China’s human rights record, including what Washington calls the massacre of a Muslim minority.

The United States boycott would not have prevented its athletes from participating in sports. The US follows in the run-up to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, raising the question of how China can respond at the moment. Beijing says it opposes the political consequences of the sport, but has already punished American sports clubs, including the National Basketball Association, for not following its red flags.

The Hong Kong government has warned the Wall Street Journal that it is likely to break the law by publishing an article that says voting is one of the “last” ways for citizens to express their opposition. The warning letter, published in the American media on Monday, comes as China’s ruling Communist Party has transformed its business center into something like a powerful country.