President reiterates pledge to host splendid Olympics

President Xi Jinping meets on Tuesday with Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. (ZHANG LING/XINHUA)

China is ready to deliver streamlined, safe and splendid Olympic Games to the world as it has promised, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday when meeting with Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.

As the Beijing Winter Olympics will begin on Feb 4 after more than six years of preparation, Xi said that China is fully confident of guaranteeing the health of the athletes and all people involved in the Games, as well as the safety of the Chinese people.

Noting that the Games will be the first comprehensive world sports event to be held on schedule since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Xi said it is a successful implementation of the new Olympic motto which reads: "Faster, Higher, Stronger－Together".

China's hosting of the Games was not only supported by the Chinese people, but also won support from the international community, he said.

According to Xi, nearly 3,000 athletes from around 90 nations will take part in the Beijing Winter Olympics.

The Winter Games, which will have the most events to be contested and the most gold medals to be awarded, offer an opportunity for more athletes to make their dreams come true in Beijing, Xi said, adding that China will put the athletes first and make an all-out effort to provide comprehensive services to them.

Xi told Bach that the biggest purpose for China to bid for the Games was to engage 300 million Chinese people in ice and snow sports, and now this vision has been successfully realized after relentless efforts.

The hosting of the Games has also driven the development of the country's ice and snow sports industry and its economy, Xi said.

He said that the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games held in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, and this year's Beijing Winter Olympics have ignited the Chinese people's passion for the Olympic Games, boosted the country's sports development and played an important role in spreading the Olympic spirit worldwide.

Xi said that the spirit of being "together", which the Olympic Games advocates, is also the most needed thing in the world today. And rather than standing on more than 190 small boats by themselves, it is better for all countries to stand on the same ship for a shared and better future, he said.

Bach praised the preparatory work for the upcoming Games, saying that he was impressed by the splendid venues, considerate pandemic prevention measures and the sustainable operation concept, according to a news release issued after the meeting.

The IOC is fully confident that China will ensure a safe, smooth and successful Games for athletes from across the world, he said.

Referring to China's goal of involving 300 million people in ice and snow sports as an unprecedented achievement, Bach said that it is the start of a new era for global winter sports.

The IOC president also said that the international community is opposed to the politicization of sports. And the fact that some countries will for the first time send delegations to attend the Winter Olympics fully shows that the Games are widely supported by global society, he added.