BEIJING —

       China on Monday threatened to take “firm countermeasures” if the U.S. proceeds with a diplomatic boycott of February’s Winter Olympics in Beijing.

       Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian accused U.S. politicians of grandstanding over the issue of not sending dignitaries to attend the Games, which China hopes will showcase its economic development and technological prowess.

       Speaking to reporters at a daily news briefing, Zhao said such a move would be an “outright political provocation” but gave no details on how China would retaliate.

       President Biden has said he is considering a diplomatic boycott, under which American athletes would still compete in the Games; an announcement is expected this week. Supporters of such a step cite China’s poor record on human rights as justification, saying China is using the Olympics to whitewash its ill treatment of civil rights activists, political dissidents and ethnic minorities.

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       “Without being invited, American politicians keep hyping the so-called diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, which is purely wishful thinking and grandstanding,” Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing.

       “If the U.S. side is bent on going its own way, China will take firm countermeasures,” Zhao said.

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       Regardless of the Biden administration’s intention, the debate over boycotting the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing isn’t going away.

       The dispatching of high-level delegations to each Olympics has long been a tradition among the U.S. and other leading nations; then-President George W. Bush attended the opening of the 2008 Beijing Summer Games. First Lady Jill Biden led the American contingent at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in July and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff led a delegation to the Paralympic Games.

       The possibility of a diplomatic boycott comes as the U.S. attempts to stabilize turbulent relations with Beijing while maintaining a tough approach toward trade frictions and conflicts over China’s actions on Taiwan, human rights, Hong Kong and the South China Sea.

       Beijing has mounted a stiff response to all U.S. criticisms, denouncing them as interference in its internal affairs and slapping visa bans on American politicians it regards as anti-China.

       It wasn’t clear whom the U.S. might send to Beijing for the Games if no boycott is mounted, and Zhao’s comments appeared to indicate that China has not extended any invitations.

       Australia, whose ties with China have nose-dived over a range of disputes, has also raised the possibility of a diplomatic boycott.