PM: No UK ministers or officials to attend Winter Olympics in Beijing
Boris Johnson has said there will ‘effectively be a diplomatic boycott’ of the Beijing Games.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson has said there will “effectively be a diplomatic boycott” of the Winter Olympics in Beijing given that no UK ministers or officials will be attending.
Conservative former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith begged the Prime Minister to ensure the UK follows the lead of the United States by having a full diplomatic boycott of the Games in February.
Mr Johnson said the Government has “no hesitation” in raising concerns over human rights abuses with China, adding in the Commons: “There will be effectively a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
There will be effectively a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing
“No ministers are expected to attend and no officials.
“What I can tell the House is I don’t think sporting boycotts are sensible and that remains the policy of the Government.”
Both the US and Australia have announced diplomatic boycotts over Beijing’s record on human rights, particularly the treatment of the Uighur Muslim community in Xinjiang province.
Mr Johnson’s comments leave open the prospect that members of the royal family could still attend – the Princess Royal is president of the British Olympic Association and a member of the International Olympic Committee.
Sir Iain welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement and said he hoped “many other countries will follow suit”.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was announcing a boycott because it is “the right thing to do”.
In Australia’s case, it was not only human rights concerns but also a series of political disputes with China which had triggered the move – including the Aukus pact with the UK and US over nuclear-powered submarines.
He said his government was very happy to talk to China about their differences “but the Chinese government has consistently not accepted those opportunities for us to meet”.