Australia joins US in diplomatic boycott of Beijing Games

Morrison
said
it
should
come
as
no
surprise
that
Australian
officials
would
boycott
the
event
after
the
nation’s
relationship
with
China
had
broken
down
in
recent
years.

“I’m
doing
it
because
it’s
in
Australia’s
national
interest,”
Morrison
said.
“It’s
the
right
thing
to
do.”
He
said
Australian
athletes
would
still
be
able
to
compete.

As
well
as
citing
human
rights
abuses,
Morrison
said
China
had
been
very
critical
of
Australia’s
efforts
to
have
a
strong
defense
force
in
the
region
“particularly
in
relation,
most
recently,
to
our
decision
to
acquire
nuclear-powered
submarines.”

USA
announce
‘diplomatic’
boycott
of
Beijing
Winter
Olympics

He
said
his
government
was
very
happy
to
talk
to
China
about
their
differences.

“There’s
been
no
obstacle
to
that
occurring
on
our
side,
but
the
Chinese
government
has
consistently
not
accepted
those
opportunities
for
us
to
meet,”
Morrison
said.

Rights
groups
have
pushed
for
a
full-blown
boycott
of
the
games,
accusing
China
of
rights
abuses
against
ethnic
minorities.

The
US
and
Australian
decisions
fall
short
of
those
calls
but
come
at
an
exceptionally
turbulent
time
for
international
relations
and
have
been
met
with
a
barrage
of
criticism
from
China.

The
Australian
Olympic
Committee
said
the
arrangements
for
the
40
or
so
Australian
athletes
expected
to
compete
at
the
games
would
not
be
impacted
by
Morrison’s
announcement.

China
says
US
diplomatic
boycott
violates
Olympic
spirit

“Getting
the
athletes
to
Beijing
safely,
competing
safely
and
bringing
them
home
safely
remains
our
greatest
challenge,”
said
Matt
Carroll,
the
committee’s
chief
executive.

“Our
Australian
athletes
have
been
training
and
competing
with
this
Olympic
dream
for
four
years
now
and
we
are
doing
everything
in
our
power
to
ensure
we
can
help
them
succeed,”
Carroll
said
in
a
statement.