Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday confirmed that Australia would follow the United States’ lead in carrying out a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing, saying the decision was “not surprising.”
After the Biden administration’s announcement that U.S. officials won’t attend the Games due to the ongoing genocide of Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region of China, Morrison said at a Sydney briefing that Australia would follow suit as “it’s the right thing to do.”
Morrison confirmed that Australian athletes would compete in the Games.
“It is not surprising… that Australian government officials would, therefore, not be going to China for those Games. Australian athletes will, though.
“Australia is a great sporting nation and I very much separate the issues of sport and these other political issues. They’re issues between two governments.”
Speaking to reporters in Sydney, Morrison went on to point out that Australia also raised concern over “human rights abuses in Xinjiang and many other issues” and has been available to discuss them with China, “but the Chinese government has consistently not accepted those opportunities for us to meet about these issues.”
A Chinese government official told reporters that the U.S. would “pay the price” for the boycott and threatened of retaliatory measures to come, per Reuters.
The Chinese embassy in Australia issued a statement accusing Australia’s government of “political posturing.”
China has come under criticism for alleged human rights abuses including its treatment of minorities such as the Uighurs and Tibetans and its suppression of the democracy movement in Hong Kong.
The Winter Games will be held from February 4-20 next year.
(With inputs from agencies)
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