Posted on 12/08/2021 8:09:39 AM PST by SeekAndFind
LONDON (AP) — No U.K. government minister will attend the Beijing Winter Olympics, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Wednesday, calling it “effectively” a diplomatic boycott.
The announcement came after the White House and the Australian government confirmed diplomatic boycotts of the Winter Olympics in February to protest Chinese human rights abuses. China has vowed to react with “firm countermeasures.”
When asked in the House of Commons on Wednesday whether Britain would join in the diplomatic action, Johnson said “There will be effectively a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing."
“No ministers are expected to attend and no officials," he told lawmakers. "The government has no hesitation in raising these issues with China, as I did with President Xi the last time I talked to him.”
Johnson said he did not believe “sporting boycotts are sensible,” and that remains his government's policy. The diplomatic moves by Britain, the U.S. and Australia do not affect their athletes’ ability to compete in the Winter Games.
Rights groups have called for a full-blown boycott of the Beijing Winter Games, citing Chinese human rights abuses against its Uyghur minority in the northwest Xinjiang province, which some have called genocide. They also point to Beijing’s suppression of democratic protests in Hong Kong and a sweeping crackdown on dissent in the semi-autonomous territory.
The White House confirmed Monday that it was staging a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing to protest Chinese human rights abuses. Australia followed suit earlier Wednesday, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying it was “in Australia's national interest."
(Excerpt) Read more at usnews.com ...
Doesn’t seem like a BFD to me. The diplomats are not the athletes.
Diplomat=nothing. Wait till the athletes are not allowed to go.
Typical leftist response. This “diplomatic” boycott is a toothless action. Brandon will try to show us he is a tough guy with China. What a joke.
Can we just can the Olympics now? It’s become a total farce as well as a political football. Politicians use the Olympics to strut and preen, and the host countries often end up in debt for decades.
Exactly. Who the hell cares about a “diplomatic” boycott. They are still sending the athletes to compete.
This is CCP Puppet Biden trying to show he is not a puppet.
But everytime Biden talks, you can see the hand up his back. /spit.
Men can still compete in women’s sports..I thought that was all that mattered?
.
The Olympics is symbolic.
I would like to see economic sanctions on China including extremely high tariffs and denial from US capital markets.
Let’s throw in official recognition of Taiwan into the mix too with Naval visits to the island.
“Diplomatic boycott” of the Chinese Olympics huh?
What is that again? Some kind of joke?
Don't threaten to do something that will hurt you more than it hurts them.
and denial from US capital markets.
The Chinese don't need US capital markets. They have their own thriving, strong capital markets.
It’s a BFD if the ChiComs move on Taiwan and/or Australia while our athletes are there, but not out pols...
FWIW, I’d pull the athletes and send the pols.
They can be used as human shields with my blessing.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.