Carry Out Diplomatic Boycott Of The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Australian PM Alludes To Allegations Of Human Rights Violations

PM Australia Scott Morrison. (Wikimedia Commons/Australian Embassy Jakarta)

JAKARTA - Australian government officials will not attend the Winter Olympics to be held in Beijing next year, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday, joining the United States in a diplomatic boycott of the event.

PM Morrison said the Chinese government had not made any efforts to address some of the issues raised by Australia including, alleged human rights abuses.

"So it's not surprising that Australian government officials won't go to China for the (olympics) games. But Australian athletes will," PM Morrison told reporters in Sydney, citing Reuters on Dec. 8.

Earlier, the United States said its government officials would boycott the Beijing Olympics because of China's human rights 'cruelty', just weeks after talks aimed at easing tensions in relations between the world's two largest economies.

Meanwhile, China said the United States would "pay the price" for its decision, warning of countermeasures in response but providing no details.

PM Morrison said Wednesday's decision came because of Australia's struggle to reopen diplomatic channels with China to discuss alleged human rights abuses in the far western region of Xinjiang, as well as Beijing's moves against Australian imports.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Canberra, the Australian capital, said several Australian politicians were involved in political stances.

"The blame for the current predicament of China-Australia relations lies squarely with Australia," the spokesperson added in an online statement.

However, the Australian Olympic Committee said the boycott would have no impact on athletes' preparations for the Games, adding that the "diplomatic option" was a matter for the government.

President Joe Biden's administration cites what the United States calls genocide against the Muslim minority in China's Xinjiang region. China denies all rights violations.

China is opposed to a US diplomatic boycott, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.

"The United States will pay the price for its wrongful actions. Let's all wait and see," spokesman Zhao Lijian told a news conference.

Asked whether China would consider a diplomatic boycott of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Zhao said the US boycott had "damaged the foundation and atmosphere" of sports exchange and cooperation at the Games. The United States will host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and is preparing to bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

To note, relations between Australia and its main trading partner, China, are on the decline after Canberra banned Huawei Technologies from its 5G broadband network in 2018, as well as the push for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19. In retaliation, Beijing responded with tariffs on Australian commodities such as barley, beef, coal and wine.