Canada, UK join Australia and US in diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics

Boris Johnson and Justin Trudeau have joined Australia and the US in a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics, undeterred by Beijing’s threats.

Boris Johnson has announced a boycott of the Beijing Olympics. Picture: Getty Images.

Canada and Britain have joined Australia and the US in a widening diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, triggering waves of anger from the Chinese government.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his British counterpart Boris Johnson separately confirmed they were joining the boycott, undeterred by Beijing’s threats that Australia and the US would “pay a price” for their decision.

“We are extremely concerned by the repeated human rights violations by the Chinese government,” Mr Trudeau said in Ottawa on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT). “I don’t think the decision by Canada or by many other countries to choose to not send diplomatic representation to the Beijing Olympics and Para­lympics is going to come as a surprise to China.”

Hours earlier, Mr Johnson confirmed Britain had joined the diplomatic boycott. “There will be effectively a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing,” he told the House of Commons. “No ministers are expected to ­attend and no officials.”

The support by Canada and the UK was welcomed in Canberra, which was exposed to Beijing’s fury last year after leading calls for an international inquiry into the origins of Covid-19. America and its allies are increasingly co-ordinating positions on China to Beijing’s immense frustration.

China’s diplomats in Beijing, Washington, Canberra, London and Ottawa were outraged and said they had made “stern representations” about the boycott.

“Based on ideological biases as well as lies and rumours, Canada and a handful of Western countries have been flagrantly engaged in political manoeuvring, with the attempt to disrupt the smooth progress of Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games,” said China’s embassy in Ottawa.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin. Picture: AFP.

“Their clumsy performance can hardly find any support and is doomed to fail.”

Their counterparts in China’s embassy in London said the boycott was a “sheer politicisation of sports” and a “blatant violation of the spirit of the Olympic charter”.

Beijing on Wednesday night warned Australia would be punished after Scott Morrison became the first leader to join the US-led boycott. “The US and Australia will pay a price for their erroneous actions. Just wait and see,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.

The spokesman said Beijing had made “solemn representations” with Australian officials.

Taking a different tack, Mr Wang also said: “No one will care if they come or not. (It) shows the hype will not have any impact on Beijing’s success in hosting the Winter Olympics. It also fully ­exposes that the Australian government has blindly followed individual countries.”

China’s state media said the US-led boycott was “almost like streaking”. “Chinese people will respond to them with a single ‘Huh? So what?’” said the Global Times, a party-controlled tabloid, in an editorial.

Mr Morrison said the decision not to send Australian officials to the Games was “not surprising”, as he announced it on Wednesday. “I’ll always stand up for Australia’s interests and what Australians ­believe is right, and we are living in an uncertain time. I’m doing it ­because it’s in Australia’s national interest. It’s the right thing to do. Full stop,” the Prime Minister said.

Anthony Albanese on Thursday repeated Labor’s support. “The fact is that China’s human rights record, particularly its treatment of Uighurs, but other issues as well, including Hong Kong … mean that it is appropriate that a commensurate action be taken,” the Opposition Leader said.

“The United States has led that. Australia has followed. Canada has made a similar decision today. And that decision is appropriate. It has bipartisan support.”

New Zealand this week confirmed it would not send any elected officials, although it may have some diplomatic representation.

Wellington is still to decide whether its ambassador to China will attend or whether it would send only junior representation.

Japan and European countries are deliberating over what representation, if any, to send.

Russian President Vladimir Putin – who is presently being warned against invading Ukraine – is Beijing’s only confirmed political guest for the Olympics, which start on February 4. According to China’s Foreign Ministry, President Xi Jinping personally extended the invitation to “his good friend” and “President Putin has accepted the invitation with joy”.