TOKYO, Dec 16, (Asia Free Press): While addressing in the parliament session, the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida has announced on Thursday that he has still no plan to attend the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing, taking what appeared to be a softer tone than Western allies who have declared a diplomatic boycott, according to local media.
Whether Japan will send their senior officials to the Games in February is in focus after its great allies like the United States, Canada, Australia, and Britain all said their officials will not participate – sent China a strong message over its human rights record.
Japan, a close ally of the United States, is concerned about China’s growing threats. However, it is also economically reliant on its neighbour, both as a manufacturing hub and customer for its automobiles and other products.
Senior Japanese government officials will likely skip the Games, Yomiuri newspaper has previously reported. However, government officials have said that nothing had been decided; all is yet to be decided after the unanimous move from the government officials.
Earlier, the United States, Australia and Britain had diplomatic boycotts during the 2022 Winter Beijing Olympics concerned Chinese atrocities against the Uyghur community. China has called the boycotts “political posturing” and a smear campaign in response to the U.S. and its allies.
The Olympic Games is a major international multi-sport event. There have been full boycott on six occasions during its history, all of the Summer Olympics. The first boycott occurred at the 1956 Summer Olympics, and the most recent was at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
