New Delhi: Japan announced that it “has no plans to send government officials” to the Beijing Winter Olympics, although players will participate. Japan’s decision comes after the US, Australia, Canada and the UK announced a diplomatic boycott of the Games.
The diplomatic boycott was announced over concerns of human rights violations in Xinjiang and other parts of China, AFP reports.
“Tokyo will not send its government delegation to the Winter Olympic Games starting in February,” Hirokazu Matsuno, chief cabinet secretary for Reuters news agency, told Reuters.
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“Rather, officials directly related to the Games will be sent, including the head of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee and the heads of the domestic Olympic and Paralympic committees,” the chief cabinet secretary said.
Earlier this month, the UK and Canada announced they would not send their government officials to the Winter Olympic Games, as the US and Australia had previously declared similar intentions.
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While on the one hand the US and its allies are announcing a diplomatic boycott, on the other hand Pakistan has condemned the move and said that politics should be kept away from sports.
South Korea also denied involvement in the diplomatic boycott.
The International Olympic Committee, however, said that despite the increasing number of diplomatic boycotts, it was pleased that athletes would still participate in the Games.
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