北京五輪、自身は出席せず　岸田首相

　岸田文雄首相は１６日の参院予算委員会で、来年２月開幕の北京冬季五輪・パラリンピック対応について「今のところ、私自身は参加は予定していない」と述べた。日本政府からの派遣の人選については「適切な時期に諸般の事情を勘案し、国益の立場から自ら判断する」と重ねて説明した。立憲民主党の白真勲氏への答弁。（2021/12/16-11:27）

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday that he currently has no plans to attend the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
   "At the moment, I'm not planning to attend (the Beijing Games) myself," Kishida told a meeting of the Budget Committee of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of Japan's parliament.
   On whether to send a government representative to the upcoming Winter Games and who will possibly be sent, Kishida reiterated, "I will make a decision myself at an appropriate time in light of national interests and by taking various factors into account."
   He made the remarks after countries including the United States have announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Games in protest against China's alleged human rights abuses. The Beijing Olympics and Paralympics are slated to start in early February and early March, respectively.
   Media reports have said recently that the Japanese government does not plan to send a cabinet minister to the Games while considering having Japanese Olympic Committee President Yasuhiro Yamashita attend and that dispatching Japan Sports Agency head Koji Murofushi or Seiko Hashimoto, who served as president of the organizing committee of this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, could be options.