Richard Colbeck signalled the government would not push for Australian athletes to abandon the event despite serious concerns about Beijing's treatment of ethnic minorities.

"It is not the government but the independent Australian Olympic Committee who are responsible for sending teams to winter and summer Olympic Games," he told parliament on Wednesday.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has not ruled out a British boycott, but said his instinct was to keep diplomacy separate from sport.

"I share those instincts," Senator Colbeck said.

Mr Raab also noted it might not be possible to separate the two issues in the future.

Independent senator Rex Patrick said China was guilty of the genocide of Uighur people, suppression of freedom in Hong Kong and imprisonment of Australians on trumped up charges.

"How can the government morally support Australian participation in the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing?" he asked the minister.

"Would you agree that Australia should step away from what would be a massive Chinese communist propaganda spectacle?"

Senator Colbeck said Foreign Minister Marise Payne had raised concerns over the treatment of Muslim minorities.

"Australia remains deeply concerned by reports of enforced disappearance, mass detention, forced labour and pervasive surveillance of Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang," he said.

"We have a range of avenues to advocate strongly for human rights in China, including directly with China and in multilateral forums."

Australian Associated Press