Britain joins US, Australia in boycotting Beijing Winter Olympics

The announcement comes after the White House and the Australian government confirmed a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in February to protest Chinese human rights abuses. China has vowed to respond with a “firm retaliation”.

Asked in the House of Commons on Wednesday whether Britain would engage in diplomatic action, Johnson said “there would effectively be a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.”

He told lawmakers, “No minister is expected to attend nor any official. The government has no hesitation in taking up these issues with China, as I did with President Xi last time. Spoke to him.”

Johnson said he does not believe “boycotting the Games is prudent,” and that it remains his government’s policy. Diplomatic moves by Britain, the US and Australia do not affect the ability of their athletes to compete in the Winter Games.

Britain’s Olympic Association is planning to send a delegation of around 50 to 60 athletes to Beijing.

Rights groups have called for a complete boycott of the Beijing Winter Games, which some have called genocide, citing Chinese human rights abuses against their Uighur minority in northwestern Xinjiang province. They also point to Beijing’s suppression of democratic protests in Hong Kong and widespread crackdown on dissent in the semi-autonomous region.

The White House confirmed on Monday that it is carrying out a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing in protest of Chinese human rights abuses. Australia followed suit earlier on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying it was “in Australia’s national interest.”

He noted deteriorating relations between his country and China – including Australia’s decision to acquire nuclear-powered submarines – as well as human rights concerns.

China’s foreign ministry denounced Morrison’s announcement as “political currency”, adding that “nobody will care whether (Australian officials) come or not.”

It was not immediately clear whether Britain’s royal family could still attend the 2022 Games. Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, was an Olympic equestrian and is the President of the British Olympic Association. She is also a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Beijing’s ties with Britain, the US and Australia have soured after three Western nations announced in September that they were forming a strategic Indo-Pacific alliance that allows for greater sharing of defense capabilities. The agreement would provide Australia with nuclear reactors to power its submarines, but would not be sub-nuclear-armed.