Beijing is facing an increasingly difficult diplomatic situation for the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympic Games after the US confirmed a diplomatic boycott of the event.

The move comes amid a growing global protest over allegations of an “ongoing genocide” and “crimes against humanity” committed by China.

While it means US athletes will still head to Beijing to compete, official diplomatic representatives will not.

Executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Peter Jennings predicted Australia and other countries will join the diplomatic boycott.

“It’s also the right thing to do, it reflects an unpleasant reality that China, the Community Party of China in one of the world’s worst abusers of human rights right now and that shouldn’t be allowed to be something China gets away with, cost-free.”

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