The United Kingdom
became the third nation to boycott the Beijing Olympics scheduled early next
year, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced. The United States was the
first country to announce a “diplomatic boycott” of the Beijing Olympics
followed by Australia. Nations are rallying together in the boycott against
China’s alleged human rights abuses.

UK’s boycott of the Winter
Olympics will also be a “diplomatic” one, which is to say British players will
be able to partake in the Games, but no British official will go to China along
with the team. Speaking in Parliament, Johnson told fellow MPs: “There will be
effectively a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.”

Also Read | Explained: Why does Beijing have the Olympics again?

The British Prime
Minister said that while he did not believe that “sporting boycotts are
sensible” but no ministers or officials are expected to attend the event. The British
Olympic Association is planning to send a delegation of about 50 to 60 athletes
to Beijing.

Human rights groups
have called for a complete ban on the Beijing Winter Games, citing human rights
abuses against its Uyghur minorities. China is accused of persecuting the
Uyghur population which Beijing veritably denies. 

The United States announced on Monday that it would be staging a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing to protest Chinese human rights abuses. On Wednesday, Australia joined in with Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying it was in his country’s national interest to boycott the Olympics. 

China’s relations with the UK, the United States and Australia are at a record low since the three Western countries announced a strategic Indo-Pacific alliance in September which affords greater sharing of defense capabilities. The alliance will provide Australia with nuclear reactors to power its submarines, but the subs will not be nuclear-armed. 

(With inputs from Associated Press)