The United Kingdom and Australia have joined the United States in boycotting the 2022 Chinese-hosted Olympics.
“There will be a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing,” U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the British Parliament on Wednesday. “No ministers are expected to attend, and no officials.”
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Johnson ruled out a ban on athletes, stating that such boycotts are not “sensible.”
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison echoed these notions, stating that Australian officials will not be attending the event alongside Australian athletes.
While Morrison’s decision was connected to the U.S.’s concerns about human rights abuses in China, Morrison also said Australia’s decision was affected by Beijing’s moves against Australian imports. In June, China restricted imports from Australia through tariffs, bans, and other measures.
China immediately accused Australia of “political posturing and selfish games” after it announced its boycott.
New Zealand announced on Tuesday that it would not send diplomats to the 2022 Olympics but claims that this decision is due to COVID-19 and not because of the U.S. decision to boycott.
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The White House confirmed on Monday that the U.S. would hold a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics this year. “The Biden administration will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics given the [People’s Republic of China’s] ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses,” stated Jen Psaki at a briefing.
The decision drew immediate ire from China, which threatened “countermeasures” in response.
