Liu Yandong showed support for Beijing’s bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics. (Photo : www.telegraph.co.uk)
Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong expressed on Sunday all-out support for Beijing's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics, stating that the major international event could inspire more Chinese to join winter sports.
When Liu visited the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee, she remarked that this endeavor could be a catalyst that will help spread the Olympic ambiance throughout the country.
With interests to venture into winter sports springing from its hundreds of millions of Chinese, the country is taking a big leap in achieving its aim to become a global athletic authority.
In 2008, China has earned the nod of the athletic arena after its capital city successfully hosted the Summer Olympic Games.
Apart from this, Liu has also emphasized how such bid could promote other sectors such as leisure, fitness, tourism and culture. It could also create a great positive impact to the environment of Northern China.
Earlier this year, Beijing submitted an official bid to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). A delegation from the committee is expected to arrive next month to conduct an evaluation.
Almaty, a Kazakhstan city and the only competitor of Beijing, is currently being evaluated.
Zhangjiakou will serve as a co-host of Beijing should the China capital win the bid. The city is located in Hebei Province, about 200 kilometers northwest of Beijing.
This Beijing-Zhangjiakou partnership is immensely supported by the Chinese government. The standing committee for each city's congress unanimously voted to support the Winter Olympic bid.
