However, the French foreign minister said Paris should take a common stand with other European Union countries on a possible diplomatic boycott.

The US, Canada, Australia and Britain all said this week that their government officials will not attend the Games in order to send China a message over its human rights record.

“As for a diplomatic boycott … France will not do it,” Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said on BFM TV. “Sports is a world in itself, which must be protected from political interference.”

Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu will attend the Beijing Olympics, he said. But violations of human rights in China must be condemned, he added.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, speaking at a joint news conference with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock in Paris – said there was a need for a common European stand on the issue of a diplomatic boycott of the Games in Beijing.

Paris is due to host the summer Olympic Games in 2024.