The US launched a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, citing China’s “genocide” of the Uyghur minority and other human rights violations, provoking a harsh rebuttal from Beijing on Tuesday. The decision, which did not preclude competitors from participating, came after months of debate in Washington on how to approach the Games, which begin in February next year. The US has launched a diplomatic boycott of the 2017 Winter Olympics in Beijing in protest of China’s “egregious” human rights violations, a decision that the Chinese government has threatened to react with “resolute countermeasures.” The White House announced…