UK announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics

The United Kingdom on Wednesday became the fourth country to announce a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics. 

“There will be effectively a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing,” Prime Minister Johnson told lawmakers, The Associated Press reported. “No ministers are expected to attend and no officials.”

“The government has no hesitation in raising these issues with China, as I did with President Xi the last time I talked to him,” he added.

The U.K. follows announcements of diplomatic boycotts of the Games from the U.S., Australia and Lithuania.

The diplomatic boycotts come as multiple countries have accused China of genocide and human rights violations, including the U.S.

The U.S. was the first on Monday to announce a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympic Games. 

“The Biden administration will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic games given [China’s] ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

“U.S. diplomatic or official representation would treat these Games as business as usual in the face of the [People’s Republic of China]’s egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang, and we simply can’t do that,” she added.

Psaki said the U.S. would not pressure other countries to join its boycott of the Games. 

Zhao Lijian, the spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, said the U.S. was acting “out of ideological prejudice and based on lies and rumors” and would “pay the price” for it.