Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada will "pay the price" for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, a spokesperson for the Chinese government said.

The four countries, along with New Zealand, will not be sending officials to the Games in February next year, citing China's human rights abuses against Uyghur minorities in Xinjiang province.

A number of Western governments and the United Nations have raised concerns about forced labour, mass incarceration, torture and other human rights abuses of Uyghurs in China.

"The US, UK, Australia and Canada use the Olympic platform for political manipulation," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press conference.

"Whether their officials come or not, they will see the successful Beijing Games."

Athletes and their staff from all five countries participating in the diplomatic boycott will still attend the Games.

It is not yet clear what a "price" would be, with the spokesman not directly answering questions about what such repercussions might entail.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said such a boycott should come as "no surprise" to China.

"It's in Australia's national interest," he said.

On possible political or economic repercussions in response to the boycott, the Prime Minister said it would be "completely and utterly unacceptable".

"There'd be no grounds for that whatsoever."

The Prime Minister confirmed ongoing diplomatic tensions between Australia and China also fed into the decision, with Australian officials unable to raise human rights concerns directly with their Chinese counterparts.

The ABC has approached the office of Foreign Minister Marise Payne who declined to comment.