Australia joins US diplomatic boycott of Bejing Winter Olympics | Al Jazeera

Australia will not send officials to the Winter Olympics in Beijing, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday, joining a US diplomatic boycott of the event and risking a further souring of relations with China.

The United States announced its boycott on Monday, citing China’s human rights “atrocities”, fuelling anger in China, which warned of “resolute countermeasures” in response.

Despite the threat, Morrison said Canberra will join the diplomatic boycott.

“Australian government officials (will), therefore, not be going to China for those Games. Australian athletes will, though,” Morrison told reporters in Sydney.