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Japan to independently decide action over Beijing Olympics: Kishida

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference on Tuesday that the government has not made a decision on the matter at the moment. (AFP)
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference on Tuesday that the government has not made a decision on the matter at the moment. (AFP)
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07 Dec 2021 11:12:47 GMT9
07 Dec 2021 11:12:47 GMT9

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio said Tuesday that his government will independently decide its action over the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, while the United States has decided to diplomatically boycott the Games.

“We’ll make a decision by ourselves in terms of national interests after comprehensively examining the significance of the Olympics, including to our country’s diplomacy,” Kishida told reporters at the prime minister’s office.

At an overnight press conference in Washington, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that the administration of US President Joe Biden will not send a diplomatic delegation to the Beijing Games, citing China’s “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses.”

She said the Biden administration has informed the United States’ allies of its decision but will “leave it to them to make their own decisions.”

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference on Tuesday that the government has not made a decision on the matter at the moment, while declining to comment on whether Japan has been urged by the United States to follow suit.

“Our country hopes that the Beijing Winter Games will be held as a celebration of peace based on the Olympic and Paralympic ideals,” the top government spokesman said.

Among US allies, Britain and Australia are believed to be considering such a diplomatic boycott.

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