Britain considers ministerial boycott of 2022 Beijing Olympics - The Telegraph

Pedestrians wearing face masks following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak walk past a countdown clock for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China December 7, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Dec 8 (Reuters) - Britain is considering approving limited government attendance at the Beijing Olympics that would stop short of a full diplomatic boycott, The Telegraph reported on Wednesday.

An outright ban on ministerial and diplomatic representation at the Winter Games remains a possibility, the report said.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that Britain had not yet decided on whether government representatives would attend the Beijing Winter Olympics. read more

According to the newspaper, one option under consideration for ministers is to skip the Games, but for Caroline Wilson, the country's ambassador to China, to attend.

An outright diplomatic boycott is supported in other quarters of government and is heavily backed by China hawks in Parliament, the report added.

On Tuesday, Australia announced a diplomatic boycott of 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, joining the United States with a similar boycott this week.

Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Gerry Doyle

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