Japan won't send govt delegation to Beijing Games

Japan announced on Friday that it decided not to send a government delegation to the Beijing Winter Games.

Instead, Japan Olympic Committee President Yasuhiro Yamashita and Seiko Hashimoto, President of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee will attend the Olympic Games, and Japan Paralympic Committee President Kazuyuki Mori will attend the Paralympic Games.

The US along with Australia, Britain and Canada announced a diplomatic boycott and will not send government dignitaries as a way to protest Chinese human rights abuses.

Under the diplomatic boycott, the countries will still send their athletes to compete.

Hirokazu Matsuno, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary, said this decision was decided on its own and Japan hopes that the Beijing Winter Games will be held as a festival of peace in line with the spirit of the Games.