© Provided by Xinhua Tokyo 2020 chief Seiko Hashimoto, Japanese Olympic Committee president Yashuiro Yamashita and Paralympic Committee president Kazuy
The Japanese government yesterday said it would not send representatives to the Beijing Olympics as it called on China to respect human rights and the rule of law.
Government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno did not describe the move as a diplomatic boycott which has been announced by the US and others but said there were “no plans” for officials to attend the Games.
“Japan believes it is important that common values shared by the international community, such as freedom, human rights and the rule of law, are also respected in China,” he said. “As Tokyo 2020 demonstrated to the world, the