Boris Johnson has said there will “effectively be a diplomatic boycott” of the Winter Olympics in Beijing – revealing no UK ministers or officials will be attending the games.
Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith had urged the prime minister to follows the lead of the US by having a full diplomatic boycott of the games in China in February 2022.
Mr Johnson told MPs in the Commons: “There will be effectively a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. No ministers are expected to attend and no officials.”
However, the prime minister also made clear at PMQs on Wednesday that the British government was not keen on any sporting boycott and Team GB would still take part in the games.
“What I can tell the House is I don’t think sporting boycotts are sensible and that remains the policy of the government,” said Mr Johnson.
The PM also said the government has no qualms about raising concerns over human rights abuses with Beijing. “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.
Labour had called on the government to announce a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing games back in July, arguing that a political response was needed to deny China a “PR coup” next year.
The opposition said ministers show boycott the 2022 games unless China allowed UN investigators into in Xinjiang in examine alleged human rights.
Beijing has strongly denied international claims about the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, despite reports that more than a million people have been arbitrarily detained.
The US, Australia and Lithuania have already announced a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Games over China’s human rights record. New Zealand said it would not be sending ministers to the event, but the country’s diplomats may still attend.
China has vowed to react to Monday’s announcement by the White House with “firm countermeasures”.
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday that his country would be joining the US in a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing games.
As well as citing human rights abuses, Mr Morrison said China had been very critical of Australia’s efforts to have a strong defence force in the region.
China responded furiously – saying no Australian officials had been invited to the Olympics and “no one would care about whether they come or not”.
