The United States is set to announce a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics over China’s record of human rights violations.
The move, as reported by multiple US outlets, would mean no American officials will attend February’s Games, though their athletes will still compete.
It will anger the Chinese government and place pressure on Australia, along with fellow democracies, to join with its ally.
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“We’re considering those matters at the moment and working through those issues,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday.
Australian sports minister Richard Colbeck and foreign affairs minister Marise Payne are reportedly unlikely to attend the Games.
The diplomatic boycott is a step below a full boycott, the most notable of which occurred in 1980 (Moscow) by the US and 1984 (Los Angeles) by the USSR.
Australia was one of 20 countries that refused to sign the United Nations Olympics truce last week.
There is growing concern around the world of China’s treatment of the Uighur minority, anti-democratic acts in Hong Kong, military pressure on Taiwan and the treatment of tennis player Peng Shuai after her accusation of sexual assault by former Chinese vice premier Zhang Gaoli.
The Beijing Games will already be very difficult for diplomats and officials to attend due to its incredibly strict coronavirus protocols.
With the Games some 60 days away, the world’s most populous nation shows no sign of easing off on its zero-Covid approach, requiring athletes to enter a “closed loop” for the duration of the Olympics and undergo daily testing.
Service personnel will enter the bubble “days before” the start of the Games and will not be allowed to leave until after the Winter Paralympics in March.
No contact will be permitted between people inside and outside the closed loop. The Winter Olympics will be held February 4-20, while the Winter Paralympics will take place March 4-13.