It was on Monday that the White House announced that no official representatives of the US government will attend the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February.

In the last two days, several countries have chosen to do the same.

"This is in Australia's interest, this is the right thing to do," said Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a news conference. 

Shortly after Australia, Britain and Canada also joined the boycott.

"Many around the world are extremely concerned about the Chinese government's repeated human rights abuses," said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to the Associated Press.

New agenda for the IOC

According to Alexander Lundholm, a journalist at Radiosporten, the diplomatic boycott is unusual, but has been noticed before.

- In the 80's you may remember how you boycotted back and forth between west and east.

But then it was that the athletes did not go there either, he says and believes that there will be a sports party anyway in Beijing because all the stars will participate.

According to Lundholm, the boycott of Beijing could have an effect on future games for the International Olympic Committee.

- The IOC has changed in many ways since China got these games.

There is a new agenda where, among other things, there are requirements to have better human rights and that it should also be cheaper to arrange an Olympics.

Sweden has not taken a position

China has responded to the US boycott as an attempt to destroy before the Games, which are less than two months away.

"The United States will have to pay for its mistakes," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday.

The Swedish government has not yet taken a position on the issue of a boycott.

- We have not taken a position on the Olympics at all and I have not received any invitation from the Swedish Olympic Committee, the newly appointed Minister of Sports Anders Ygman has told TT.

Although no representatives from the governments of the countries will be present, they support all their sports to participate in the games. 

- We welcome the fact that the active will be there and that they are supported by their national governments.

The rest is politics, pure political decisions of every government, says Thomas Bach, chairman of the International Olympic Committee, according to Reuters.