ADVERTISEMENT

Australia Joins Diplomatic Boycott of China Winter Olympics

Australia Joins Diplomatic Boycott of Beijing’s Winter Olympics

Australia will join the U.S.-led diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics to protest the nation’s alleged human rights abuses, in a move set to further worsen relations between the two countries. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s move makes Australia the first major country to follow the U.S. in deciding against sending officials to the spectacle starting Feb. 4 -- while both will allow their athletes to participate. The decision also comes after China threatened the U.S. with retaliation, warning that ties between the world’s two largest economies may suffer. 

“The human rights abuses in Xinjiang and many other issues that Australia has consistently raised, we have been very pleased and very happy to talk to the Chinese government about these issues,” Morrison told reporters in Sydney on Wednesday. 

“But the Chinese government has consistently not accepted those opportunities for us to meet about these issues,” he said, adding that it shouldn’t be a surprise that Australian officials “would, therefore, not be going to China for those games.”

In response to Morrison’s announcement, the Chinese embassy in Canberra said in a statement that it wished Australian athletes well at the games. It also criticized what it called “political posturing” by certain figures, and reiterated its view that blame for China-Australia tensions was the fault of Canberra.

The Biden administration’s decision for a diplomatic boycott has left many U.S. allies trying to balance relations with its American security partner, and China, a major source of trade

Australia Joins Diplomatic Boycott of China Winter Olympics

.

New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said the government told China in October that it won’t send any diplomatic representatives, citing a range of factors “mostly to do with Covid.” Canadian Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge said after the U.S. announcement that the government is talking to other countries about the matter but no decision has been made, CTV News reported.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tokyo will act in its national interests and his government hasn’t made any decision. His government is considering sending lower level officials to the games, the Sankei newspaper reported.

Under Morrison’s watch, Australia’s relations with China -- its largest trading partner -- have nosedived in the wake of his government’s call last year for independent investigators to enter Wuhan to probe the origins of the coronavirus. Beijing inflicted a range of trade reprisals, including crippling tariffs on Australian barley and wine, while blocking coal shipments.

Morrison said he’s keen for talks with China about their issues, “whether it’s their concerns with our foreign interference legislation or foreign investment rules where Australia takes a strong stand.”

“They have been critical in Australia in our efforts to ensure we have a strong national defense force,” he said. “Most recently to our decision to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.”

Earlier on Wednesday, media outlets including News Corp. reported that last month millions of homes were moments away from losing power after a major energy network was hit by a ransomware attack believed to have been the work of Chinese hackers. Asked about that, Morrison said he wasn’t drawing any conclusions about the origins of the cyberattack.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the U.S. decided not to send any diplomatic or official representation “given the PRC’s ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, and other human rights abuses,” referring to China by its formal name.

China regularly hits back at the genocide accusations leveled by the U.S. government and others, calling them “the lie of the century.”

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.