China Says US To Pay A Price For Diplomatic Boycott Of Olympics; NZ To Skip Over Covid

The US has betrayed Olympic principles and will have to “pay a price” for its diplomatic boycott of the Winter Games in Beijing, China said on Tuesday, as key Western allies hesitated in deciding whether to follow the US lead.

Beijing: Australia, Canada the UK, the Netherlands and Japan said they were also still considering their positions. New Zealand’s deputy prime minister, Grant Robertson, said the country would not send government officials but that decision was based largely on Covid-19 concerns and preceded the US boycott.