New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said the country will not be represented “at the ministerial level” at the Beijing Winter Olympics, 1News reported on December 7.
According to the TV channel, the decision of the New Zealand authorities was not caused by a previously announced boycott by the United States, but by concerns about the epidemiological situation due to COVID-19.
“There were a number of factors, but mostly [решение] related to COVID-19 and the fact that the logistical aspects of coronavirus travel are not conducive to this kind of travel, ”added Robertson.
He noted that this decision was made and announced to China in October this year.
At the same time, the Deputy Prime Minister assured that New Zealand “has repeatedly made it clear to the PRC about concerns about human rights issues.”
On December 6, the White House announced its decision to stage a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics. It was noted that this step will not affect the participation of American athletes in the Games. The reason for the decision in Washington was called “the genocide in Xinjiang and other violations of human rights.”
In turn, the Chinese government called the United States’ decision to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics diplomatically as an ostentatious move and political manipulation.
At the same time, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) noted that they respect the United States’ decision to boycott OI-2022 diplomatically. The representative of the organization also noted that the presence or absence of government officials and diplomats at the Games is a personal decision of each government.
On the same day, it was reported that the Canadian authorities, following the United States, are studying the issue of a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
The Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing from 4 to 20 February 2022.
Source: IZ

Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.