China encourages its people to participate in winter sports in preparation for the Winter Olympics 2022. (Photo : Getty Images)
Chinese President Xi Jinping is China's first leader to visit the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. He discussed the country's plans for Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics with IOC President Thomas Bach.
Xi pledged to make the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing a "remarkable, extraordinary, and excellent event," reported ECNS. He also heaped praise on the IOC's relentless efforts in developing the Olympic Games as one that fosters goodwill through sports development worldwide, especially in China.
Beijing is set to become the first city in history to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics. Xi promises to groom the Chinese capital as a worthy and successful host to the 2022 Winter Olympics by organizing it "in a green, sharing, open and clean-fingered manner," the South China Morning Post reported.
Furthermore, Xi deemed the Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics as a proper occasion to promote the continuing development of China's sporting prowess. He envisions the use of sports as an important component for promoting the well-being of all Chinese, primarily through healthy lifestyles.
Amid promises of green practices, the meeting between Xi and the IOC didn't provide any focus on China's ongoing smog problem in its northern urban corridors. Nonetheless, both parties expressed optimism over the country's promising efforts to host a successful Winter Olympics come 2022.
Issues over China's Internet censorship were allayed during the meeting. The IOC itself expressed optimism that the country will guarantee free and unperturbed access to information via the Internet once the Winter Olympics takes place, henceforth guaranteeing harmony during the competition.
Beijing, alongside the much-smaller city of Zhangjiakou in northern Hebei Province, was announced by the IOC as the host of the 2022 Winter Olympics. Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty, the only bidder other than Beijing for the competition, backed out over hosting costs.
