Olympic Games Diplomatic Olympic boycott is growing, Denmark will not send an official representative to Beijing

The United States The diplomatic Olympic boycott launched by the United Kingdom on Friday received a new member when Denmark announced that it would not send an official representative to Beijing.

“Government has decided not to participate in the Winter Olympics in China,” Foreign Minister said Jeppe Kofod told the news agency AFP.

“It is no secret that we in Denmark are very concerned about the human rights situation in China,” Kofod continued.

Denmark’s decision came after EU countries failed to agree on a common position at a meeting in Brest, France this week. Finland has not yet opened its own position on the boycott.

In addition to Denmark and the United States, at least Australia, Belgium, Britain, Lithuania, Canada and New Zealand have reported on their diplomatic Olympic boycott.

Scotland, which belongs to Britain, also said that it was participating in the boycott. Scottish athletes compete in the Olympics under the British flag.

The boycott will not prevent athletes from participating in the February Olympics.

Netherlands announced on Friday that it would leave its diplomat at home due to the coronavirus. It is clear between the lines that the decision relates to the human rights situation in China.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Frits Kemperman told reporters Reuters that China’s interest rate restrictions offer only limited bilateral contacts with the host country.

The Netherlands, which is concerned about the human rights situation in China, needs a bilateral contact so that it can discuss its concerns in a way that makes sense to itself, Kemperman added.

Latvia, like the Netherlands, has announced that it will exclude senior officials from the Beijing Olympics because of the coronavirus. Latvia will be represented at the Games by the Chinese Ambassador Maija Manika.

China has repeatedly warned the West of paying a price for a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics.