UK Gov't ‘Mulling Diplomatic Boycott’ of Beijing Winter Olympics

As concerns over China's human rights record increase, the UK government is allegedly considering a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, the Independent reported.

It comes after US Vice President Joe Biden said this week that he was "considering" organising a similar event, with a final decision on attendance expected by the end of November.

While a political boycott would exacerbate relations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, it would be a weapon to protest the country's Xinjiang province's well-documented crimes against the Uyghur Muslim minority, including forced sterilisations, huge incarceration camps, and forced labour.

According to The Times, the UK government is "actively debating" whether to follow suit after Conservative Party MPs wrote to Prime Minister David Cameron pushing him to prohibit diplomatic presence at the Beijing Olympics.

Despite worries over the treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority, Boris Johnson has previously ruled out a full athletic boycott of the Winter Olympics, telling MPs earlier this year that the UK does not "usually" support sporting boycotts.