Australia is considering an “unofficial” boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing next year, assuming that Australia will not send officials to the event, amid concerns about the situation of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, the newspaper reported this Thursday Sydney Morning Herald.

Various legislators from the ruling Liberal-National coalition as well as from the Labor Party have asked Executive Scott Morrison to adopt official diplomatic boycotts are similar to those studied by the United States, Britain and Canada, the specified newspaper.

The Sydney Morning Herald explained that the option being considered by the Canberra Executive was an “unofficial” boycott, which, diplomatically, involves sending athletes but not their officials, though without calling him by name.

The outlet added that Australia was waiting for the United States to enact a diplomatic boycott, in response to human rights situation in Hong Kong, Tibet and the Xinjiang region, to take the same decision and in line with their allies.

Demands in Australia to boycott the Beijing Olympics are increasing as a result of Concerns about the whereabouts of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, who on November 2 denounced sexual harassment by former Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.

Australia’s Minister for Sports Ricard Colbeck said that while China needed to respond “with transparency and responsibility” to Peng’s case, he clarified that “this decision on government representation at the Winter Olympics has not yet been adopted.”

Australia defends tensions in relations with China for diplomatic, geopolitical and commercial reasons, which was further exacerbated last September with the announcement of a defense pact between Canberra, Washington and London to deal with Beijing in the Indo-Pacific region.

Likewise, the Chinese regime has adopted trade actions against key Australian products, while Canberra has approved leyes in recent years to prevent suspected espionage and tampering of the Asian giant.

Australia also protested arrest of a Chinese-Australian writer in China and has expressed objections regarding the expansion of the Asian technology company Huawei and its participation in the development of the 5G technology network.

(With information from EFE)

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