Japan to put off sending govt officials to Beijing Winter Olympics, NHK says

The United States and other Western countries have announced a diplomatic boycott of the Games over concerns about human rights in China but Japan has so far taken a softer tone. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said this month he does not plan to attend the Games, which are due to start in February.

Japan is likely to shelve plans to send government officials to the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing and will make an announcement as early as Friday, public broadcaster NHK said.

The government plans to send Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto as well as the heads of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) and the Japanese Paralympic Committee (JPC) to the Winter Games, NHK said without citing sources. The United States and other Western countries have announced a diplomatic boycott of the Games over concerns about human rights in China but Japan has so far taken a softer tone.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said this month he does not plan to attend the Games, which are due to start in February. The issue illustrates Tokyo's delicate position as a close ally of the United States that is also heavily reliant on China for trade and as a manufacturing base.

Kishida has faced rising pressure within his ruling Liberal Democratic Party to take a tougher stance on China, NHK said.