Japan says it has 'no intentions to send government officials' to Winter Olympics
Japan, which hosted the virus-affected Tokyo Olympics this year, is in a difficult situation as tensions rise between the United States and China are significant trading partners.
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FollowJapan has "no intentions to send government officials" to the Beijing Olympics in February, Tokyo said Friday, after announcing diplomatic boycotts by the United States and other nations over human rights concerns. Tokyo 2020 executive director Seiko Hashimoto and Japanese Olympic Committee president Yasuhiro Yamashita will attend the Winter Olympics in Beijing, according to top government spokeswoman Hirokazu Matsuno.
The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada launched diplomatic boycotts of the Games earlier this month in response to China's serious human rights violations, notably against the Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang. Their boycott does not extend to not sending athletes to the Winter Games, which begin on February 4th.
Also Read | China sternly warns four nations diplomatically boycotting Olympics, says ‘pay the price’
On the other hand, Beijing has warned the four countries that they will "pay the price" for the US-led effort. China stated that exploiting the Olympic platform for "political manipulation" is "unpopular and self-isolating" and warned the countries that they would "inevitably" regret announcing the unified diplomatic boycott of the multi-sports tournament next winter. During a news briefing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhao Lijian stated that politicising sports is contrary to the Olympic spirit and hurts the interests of athletes from all nations.
Several Australian exports, including coal, pork, barley, and wine, have been subjected to Beijing's imposed tariffs. Any more trade barriers, according to Morrison, would be "completely and completely unacceptable."
Also Read | Australia announces diplomatic boycott of 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing
The US boycott, which has been urged for months by certain Congress and human rights organisations, comes despite efforts to normalise relations, including a video chat last month between US President Joe Biden and China's Xi Jinping.
Japan, which hosted the virus-affected Tokyo Olympics this year, is in a difficult situation as tensions rise between the United States and China are significant trading partners.
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