Britain joins U.S. in diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
(Image credit: Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

The U.K. will join the U.S. and several other countries — including Australia, New Zealand, and Lithuania — in a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed Wednesday.

"There will be effectively a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing," Johnson told the British parliament, per Politico. "No ministers are expected to attend, and no officials." Athletes will still be allowed to attend because the prime minister does not believe "sporting boycotts are sensible."

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Brigid Kennedy

Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.