(Bloomberg) --
The U.K. will join countries including the U.S. and Australia in a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, amid growing criticism in Boris Johnson's Conservative Party about Beijing's human rights record.
“There will effectively be a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing,” the British prime minister said in the House of Commons on Wednesday. “No ministers are expected to attend, and no officials.”
The U.K. is the latest country to say it won't send a diplomatic presence to the event starting Feb. 4, though it still intends to allow its athletes to participate. The U.S. announced its boycott on Monday, citing “crimes against humanity” and other human rights abuses. New Zealand has since also joined the boycott.
Read more: China Warns U.S. Will ‘Pay a Price' for Boycotting Olympics
Johnson, who has tried to strike a balance over his government's policy on China, told MPs ministers repeatedly raise human rights concerns with Beijing, and that he doesn't consider so-called sporting boycotts are “sensible.”
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