JAKARTA - Canada and Britain have adopted a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, joining the United States and Australia, with China calling the boycott a "political stance" and a smear campaign.
The United States was the first to announce a boycott this week, saying on Monday its government officials would not attend the Beijing Olympics, because of China's human rights 'cruelty', weeks after talks aimed at easing tensions in relations between the world's two largest economies.
China on Tuesday said the United States would "pay the price" for its decision, warning of countermeasures but giving no details. Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is trying to play down the growing diplomatic boycott.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Beijing would be aware of the West's longstanding concerns about human rights in China. "(So) it should come as no surprise that we decided not to send diplomatic representation," he said, citing Reuters Dec. 9.
PM Trudeau's decision is likely to add to the strain on existing relations, due to the detention of Huawei Technologies Co's Chief Financial Officer. Ltd., Meng Wanzhou by Canada under a US warrant.
At the same time as Prime Minister Trudeau spoke, separately IOC President Thomas Bach said the committee had always paid attention to the participation of athletes in the Olympics.
"So we welcome the support for their Olympic team which has been emphasized by all governments. It gives reassurance to the athletes and this is about the IOC," in a video press conference.
For the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), the diplomatic boycott recognized the difference between government and athlete participation while providing a platform to highlight China's concerns.
"The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee remain concerned about the issues in China but understand that the Games will create an important platform to draw their attention to," the COC said in a statement.
Earlier, when asked in the British Parliament whether his country would follow Washington's lead, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "There will be an effective diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, no ministers are expected to attend and no officials."
"I don't think that a boycott of sports makes sense and that remains government policy," he added, pointing out that British athletes would still be competing.
Meanwhile, China said it had not invited British officials.
"The Chinese government has not invited any ministers or government officials from the UK to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics," said a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in London.
"Disputing the presence of government officials at the Beijing Winter Olympics is essentially a political defamation campaign."
Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his 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 and Beijing's moves against Australian imports.
Announcing the plan, Morrison said Beijing had not responded to some of the issues raised by Canberra, including allegations of rights abuses. China has denied any wrongdoing in Xinjiang and says the allegations are fabricated.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a daily briefing in Beijing that Australian politicians were involved in "political positions".
"Whether they come or not, no one cares," he stressed.
Australia's Olympic Committee said the boycott would have no impact on athletes' preparations for the Games, which run from February 4 to 20, adding that the "diplomatic option" was a matter for the government.
Other US allies have yet to commit to joining the boycott, although Japan is considering not sending cabinet members to the Olympics, the daily Sankei Shimbun said on Wednesday, citing unnamed government sources.
"The decision of countries to boycott the Olympics, it's their decision that they have to make themselves. It's up to them (other countries) to decide how they are going to move forward, and whether they are going to boycott or not," said White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre. .
To note, the United States will host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and is preparing to run to host the 2030 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
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