Mark McGowan Blasts ScoMo Over Beijing Winter Olympics Boycott Plan

Mark McGowan has hit back at claiming the PM's decision to join an international boycott of the next in makes no sense.
The WA premier argued sport should be above politics, implying Australia should send diplomats to the Winter Olympics in in February 2022.
'I don't understand why we've done that,' McGowan said of the decision taken by Prime Minister Scott Morrison to follow the US.
Mr McGowan is a consistent defender of Beijing, having criticised Mr Morrison and others in the federal government every time they stand up to the Communist Party.
WA has vast stores of iron ore and other resources China needs to power its development, and the state gets a massive proportion of its economy from this trade. 
Mark McGowan has hit back at Scott Morrison claiming the PM's decision to join an international boycott of the next Olympics in China makes no sense
The PM confirmed Australia will also boycott the Beijing winter games, meaning officials will not turn up but athletes will still compete
The US on Monday said its government officials will boycott the Games in February because of China's human rights 'atrocities'. 
Mr Morrison confirmed Australia would also boycott the games, meaning officials will not turn up but athletes will still compete.
'I'll always stand up for Australia's interests and what Australians believe is right and we are living in an uncertain time,' he said.
On Thursday Mr McGowan shot back, claiming politics should not mix with sport.
'Obviously, this move around the Olympics I find pretty inexplicable,' he said.
'I think sport, particularly the Olympics, should be above politics.'
In 2020 WA exported $80 billion worth of goods to China in 2020, which was an estimated 71 per cent of Australia's goods exports to Beijing
Up to one million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities are believed to be held in camps in China's far-west region of Xinjiang, according to the United Nations.
China claims they are legitimate prisoners but the West has ample evidence they are being unfairly detained and abused because they are Muslim.
Mr McGowan claimed to be 'not really' concerned that the boycott could damage WA's trading relationship with Beijing.
But he has previously expressed fears for WA's economic future as China and Australia's relationship continues to deteriorate. 
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Beijing has imposed increasingly punitive tariffs on numerous Australian exports as its rhetoric towards Australia becomes increasingly hostile.
On several occasions Mr McGowan has pleaded with the business community for help defusing tensions amid worries big job losses could result if lost business with the authoritarian state weakens the mining industry.
'How is it in our interests to be reckless with trading relationships that fund and drive our prosperity and our nation forward?' he asked at an oil and gas conference in June 2021.  
In 2020 WA exported $80 billion worth of goods to China in 2020, which was an estimated 71 per cent of Australia's goods exports to Beijing.
Beijing has issued a warning to Australia after it announced it would join allied forces in a US-led diplomatic protest against China's human rights abuses by boycotting the nation's Winter Olympics 
A spokesperson for Chinese President President Xi Jinping said Beijing lodged 'solemn representations' - a term meaning diplomatic discontent - after Mr Morrison's announcement, reported.
China also said the US would 'pay the price' for Lajme Sportive (joshua9q64vgr6.dgbloggers.com) its decision and warned of 'resolute countermeasures' in response.
Australian Olympic Committee chief executive Matt Carroll said the AOC respected the government's decision, but its focus was ensuring the safety of athletes.
'The AOC is very focused on ensuring that team members are able to safely travel to China given the complexity of the Covid environment, with our athletes departing from overseas locations,' he said. 
'Getting the athletes to Beijing safely, competing safely, and bringing them home safely remains our greatest challenge.'