Australia joins US in diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics

Australia will be part of the US in a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics subsequent yr, in a transfer that dangers worsening strained relations with China.

Scott Morrison, prime minister, mentioned on Tuesday that it ought to come as no shock that Australia wouldn’t ship official representatives to the Video games given “a quantity” of points between the nations that China had not been prepared to debate.

These included issues over alleged human rights abuses in China’s north-western Xinjiang area and Beijing’s anger over Australian efforts to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.

On Monday, Jen Psaki, White Home press secretary, mentioned the Biden administration would boycott the Video games in February due to the “ongoing genocide and crimes towards humanity” in Xinjiang. China known as the choice “a severe violation of the precept of political neutrality”.

Relations between Canberra and Beijing have worsened dramatically since Australia joined the Aukus safety partnership with the UK and the US.

Human rights teams, which have criticised China for its insurance policies in Xinjiang and clampdown in Hong Kong, have additionally urged governments and corporations around the globe to boycott the Winter Olympics.

“Australia is already within the doghouse,” mentioned Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a professor in political science at Hong Kong Baptist College, including that the diplomatic boycott was a part of a “downward spiral” in Australia-China relations.

China is Australia’s greatest buying and selling associate by way of each imports and exports, accounting for greater than A$245bn (US$175bn) value of commerce final yr, based on Australian authorities figures.

Australia, in the meantime, is China’s sixth-largest coaching associate and an important provider of uncooked supplies. Final yr, Beijing imposed an unofficial ban on Australian coal after Canberra supported a name for a global inquiry into the origins of coronavirus in Wuhan. Beef, wine, timber, cotton and seafood additionally confronted steep tariffs.

However China’s want for Australian imports would restrict its response, Cabestan mentioned.

“The affect [of worsening relations] on commerce has been vital in some sectors however restricted in others like iron ore,” he mentioned. “China wants Australia and Australian imports.”

Final month, Human Rights Watch, a US-headquartered marketing campaign group, mentioned the Beijing Video games have been “tainted by censorship and repression” and known as on its worldwide sponsors, together with Visa, Coca-Cola and Omega, to make use of their leverage to deal with alleged rights abuses in China.

This week, New Zealand additionally mentioned it will not ship diplomats to the Beijing Video games, however cited worries over the unfold of Covid-19 somewhat than political issues. The UK parliament additionally voted in favour of a non-binding movement for a diplomatic boycott of the Video games in July.