Reporter: With the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games approaching, the international community has turned its eyes to China and the Olympics. On the one-month countdown to the opening ceremony, President Xi Jinping inspected the preparations during his visit to sports venues, the main media center and a training base, among others, attracting great attention. What message do you think this visit has sent to the international community?
Wang Wenbin: You may have all noted that President Xi said in his New Year address that “We will spare no effort to present a great Games to the world.” On the first working day after the New Year holiday, President Xi made another field trip to inspect the preparations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This fully demonstrates that the Party and the Chinese government give priority to the preparations and sends three key messages to the international community.
First, China honors its word. President Xi stressed that it is China’s solemn pledge to ensure the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics are “a full success”. For more than six years since Beijing won the bid to host the Olympic Games, China has been focusing on popularizing winter sports southward, westward and eastward. As a result, more and more Chinese have set foot on ice rinks and snow resorts, making winter sports popular and meeting the objective of “involving 300 million people in winter sports”. The principles of hosting a “green, inclusive, open and clean” Olympic Games have been effectively implemented in constructing the venues, organizing the events and providing services for the Games.
Second, China is ready. After years of efforts, preparations are basically all set. In terms of events organization, the “Experience Beijing” test matches have successfully concluded. All 12 sports venues in Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou have been built and put into use with GAISF’s certification. The service and support system has been completed, covering the Olympic Village, volunteers, media center, medical assistance and contract hotels.
Third, China is confident that we will hold a safe Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games have published two editions of the Beijing 2022 Playbooks. Following the requirements of the Playbooks, the Chinese side is optimizing the area-based double closed-loop management process tailored for different categories of participants and strictly implementing the epidemic control protocols. China will take science-based and targeted epidemic prevention and control measures, make utmost effort to prevent infection and ensure the health and safety of all personnel attending the Beijing 2022.
In his New Year’s Message 2022, IOC President Thomas Bach said that “we are looking forward to successful Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and have great confidence that we will stage safe and secure Olympic Winter Games for everybody.” Polish Ski Association (PZN) president Apoloniusz Tajner said that China made the right decision to apply strict COVID-19 restrictions and thanks to that “I will feel safe during the competition in Beijing.” All these reflect the shared voice of the international community in looking forward to the Beijing 2022 and the international community’s confidence in a safe and secure Olympic Games to be hosted by China.
On February 4, the Olympic flame will be lit for a second time in the National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest. We will be a good host and make full efforts to deliver a splendid, exceptional and extraordinary Olympic event for the world, make sure all participants feel spring-like warmth and provide more solidarity, confidence and strength to all.
Reporter: With the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games approaching, the international community has turned its eyes to China and the Olympics. On the one-month countdown to the opening ceremony, President Xi Jinping inspected the preparations during his visit to sports venues, the main media center and a training base, among others, attracting great attention. What message do you think this visit has sent to the international community?
Wang Wenbin: You may have all noted that President Xi said in his New Year address that “We will spare no effort to present a great Games to the world.” On the first working day after the New Year holiday, President Xi made another field trip to inspect the preparations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This fully demonstrates that the Party and the Chinese government give priority to the preparations and sends three key messages to the international community.
First, China honors its word. President Xi stressed that it is China’s solemn pledge to ensure the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics are “a full success”. For more than six years since Beijing won the bid to host the Olympic Games, China has been focusing on popularizing winter sports southward, westward and eastward. As a result, more and more Chinese have set foot on ice rinks and snow resorts, making winter sports popular and meeting the objective of “involving 300 million people in winter sports”. The principles of hosting a “green, inclusive, open and clean” Olympic Games have been effectively implemented in constructing the venues, organizing the events and providing services for the Games.
Second, China is ready. After years of efforts, preparations are basically all set. In terms of events organization, the “Experience Beijing” test matches have successfully concluded. All 12 sports venues in Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou have been built and put into use with GAISF’s certification. The service and support system has been completed, covering the Olympic Village, volunteers, media center, medical assistance and contract hotels.
Third, China is confident that we will hold a safe Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games have published two editions of the Beijing 2022 Playbooks. Following the requirements of the Playbooks, the Chinese side is optimizing the area-based double closed-loop management process tailored for different categories of participants and strictly implementing the epidemic control protocols. China will take science-based and targeted epidemic prevention and control measures, make utmost effort to prevent infection and ensure the health and safety of all personnel attending the Beijing 2022.
In his New Year’s Message 2022, IOC President Thomas Bach said that “we are looking forward to successful Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and have great confidence that we will stage safe and secure Olympic Winter Games for everybody.” Polish Ski Association (PZN) president Apoloniusz Tajner said that China made the right decision to apply strict COVID-19 restrictions and thanks to that “I will feel safe during the competition in Beijing.” All these reflect the shared voice of the international community in looking forward to the Beijing 2022 and the international community’s confidence in a safe and secure Olympic Games to be hosted by China.
On February 4, the Olympic flame will be lit for a second time in the National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest. We will be a good host and make full efforts to deliver a splendid, exceptional and extraordinary Olympic event for the world, make sure all participants feel spring-like warmth and provide more solidarity, confidence and strength to all.
