Japan says it will not send government officials to the Beijing Winter Games

Japan will not send any senior officials or ministers to the Beijing Winter Olympics in February, the government said on Friday. The decision, however, arrived not classified as a diplomatic boycott.

Japan “believes that respect for human rights is important,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference. “We made a comprehensive decision.”

Tokyo Olympics Chief Seiko Hashimoto, Japanese Olympic Committee President Yasuhiro Yamashita and Japan Paralympics Chief Kazuyuki Mori will also participate in the event, according to Matsuno.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said earlier this month that he does not plan to attend the Games.

Kishida has faced mounting pressure within his ruling party to take a tougher stance on China, according to local media – a sensitive issue for Japan, which is a close partner to the United States but also has strong ties economic with its Asian neighbor.

diplomatic boycotts

The Beijing Games have been shrouded in controversy for months, with activists and critics calling for boycotts over human rights abuses in China – particularly against Muslim Uighurs in western Xinjiang.

Several foreign governments, lawmakers, independent courts and humanitarian groups have declared China’s treatment of Uighurs genocide.

So far, Britain, Canada and Australia have followed the US in announcing diplomatic boycotts – meaning they will not send any official delegations, although their athletes can still compete.

The United States said its diplomatic boycott was due to “flagrant human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang.”

China has sharply criticized the boycotts, arguing that politics and sports must remain separate and that participating countries are contradicting the Olympic spirit of unity.

In a statement earlier this month, Beijing threatened the Biden government with retaliation, warning that the move could damage bilateral relations.

*With additional information from Reuters