China warned Western nations for a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Those group would "pay the price", according to the communist country. “The US, Australia, Britain and Canada's use of the Olympic platform for political manipulation is unpopular and self-isolating, and they will inevitably pay the price for their wrongdoing," words of the foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.

Washington announced the diplomatic boycott, saying it was prompted by widespread rights abuses by China. Australia, Britain and Canada followed the U S pointing out the "genocide" against the Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang.All four of the boycotting Western countries have seen relations with Beijing cool dramatically in recent years.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Britain's boycott in parliament but joined the other three nations in saying athletes should still attend. “I do not think that sporting boycotts are sensible -- that remains the policy of the government," he added. Britain has also criticised China for its crackdown in Hong Kong.

Human Rights Watch's China director Sophie Richardson calling it a "crucial step toward challenging the Chinese government's crimes against humanity targeting Uyghurs and other Turkic communities”. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said that he was staying politically neutral on the matter. 'The important point is the participation of the athletes in the Olympic Games’ Bach added.

Allegation is that, at least one million Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking, mostly Muslim minorities have been incarcerated in "re-education camps" in Xinjiang. China is also accused of forcibly sterilising women and imposing forced labour. But, Beijing defends the camps as vocational training centres aimed at reducing the appeal of Islamic extremism.