The Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Wednesday that Australia will join the United States in a diplomatic boycott of China. In the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, the country won’t be participating as a sign of objection against the human rights violation by the Chinese regime.
“Australia will not step back from the strong position we’ve had standing up for Australia’s interests,” said Prime Minister Morrison. The government has agreed Australian officials won’t be going to take part in the games in Beijing. This decision was also a result of recent disagreements with China. The relations between the two countries have tumbled into a serious situation similar to the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989.
On the other side, China is giving a more hushed response. According to a spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in Canberra, it’s upon Australia to fix the ‘current predicament’ in the relations between two nations. The officials from the Chinese Embassy stated that “Mountains cannot stop the river from flowing into the sea”. The success of Australia does not depend on sending officials to games but rather on performing well in games.
Meanwhile, the Australian Olympics Committee (AOC) has declared that the preparation of athletes would not be halted and instead, preparations for the Winter Games will continue even if the government goes for a diplomatic boycott. As per AOC, politics, and sports should be seen from separate spectrums. This spirit of AOC has been acknowledged by the Chinese Embassy. The Chinese officials remarked that they hope for an excellent performance from the Australian athletes at the Winter Olympics. Further, the Chinese embassy expressed its belief in a streamlined, safe, and splendid Olympics in China.
The United States decided to diplomatically boycott China a couple of days ago after going through the human rights ‘atrocities’ in the Xinjiang region. The US has dubbed these atrocities a genocide of the Uyghur minority of Xinjiang. Until now, Nations such as the UK and Canada have joined US’s boycott decision. In response, China warned America that they have to pay a price for their actions.