Australia will follow the United States in a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Australian athletes will still be able to compete.

The AOC will send about 40 athletes to the Beijing Games, with the opening ceremony to be held on February 4.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says it “will come as no surprise that the Australian government will not be sending any official representatives”.

“We have been raising a number of issues that have not been received well in China and there has been a disagreement on those matters,” Mr Morrison said.