Australia will join forces with the USA in diplomatically boycotting the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed.
On Monday, it was announced by the Biden administration that the US would not be sending any government officials to China in a protest against alleged human rights abuses.
The move has been criticized by China, but Australian Prime Minister Morrison has also confirmed a diplomatic boycott will take place, although athletes will still be allowed to compete.
"People have been very aware that we have been raising a number of issues that have not been received well in China and there's been a disagreement between us on those matters," Morrison told reporters, as quoted by Inside the Games.
"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 and there's been no obstacle to that occurring on our side, but the Chinese Government has consistently not accepted those opportunities for us to meet about these issues.
"So it is not surprising, therefore, that Australian Government officials would not be going to China for those Games. Australian athletes will, though.
"Australia's a great sporting nation and I very much separate the issues of sport and these other political issues. They're issues between two Governments."
The IOC has affirmed that it 'respects' countries' decisions to diplomatically boycott the Games.
Ben Knapton
