President Xi delivers on Olympic promises

An eco-friendly & economical Games

Cost control, especially relating to environmental costs, has become an important issue for the organizers of any Olympics in the modern age.

During his first visit to Zhangjiakou in 2017, Xi stressed that construction projects should not be extravagant, and that their follow-up uses should be taken into consideration.

For Beijing 2022, a crucial solution has been the reuse of venues from the 2008 Summer Olympics.

The iconic 'Water Cube' swimming venue from 2008 has now become the 'Ice Cube,' a premier curling venue. In Beijing 2022's Shougang competition zone, world-class facilities have been repurposed from a disused steel plant that used to exist on the site.

A strong focus on sustainability can also be found throughout previous years.

The 2022 Games are the first to harness waste carbon dioxide to create ice surfaces.

In addition, during the venue construction in the Yanqing competition zone, protecting species diversity on the 2,000 meter-high mountain was a top priority. All trees within the zone were registered and had their profiles marked with a QR code. Temporary migration paths were also built for local animals.

China's unswerving commitment to sustainability has won praise from observers.

Bach proclaimed that Beijing 2022 can "set a new benchmark for a sustainable Olympic Games."

That was echoed by International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons, who said Beijing is "taking the lead on sustainability in order to create a new model for the Olympic and Paralympic Games."

Bridge of solidarity & cooperation

"Uphold the Olympic spirit, advance peace and development," read the message by President Xi, who has devoted himself to boosting global harmony and cooperation through sport.

During President Xi's state visit to Finland in 2017, he and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto agreed to designate the year of 2019 as the China-Finland Year of Winter Sports, which was described as "a historic form of cooperation for both countries."

In June 2018, Xi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin watched an ice hockey friendly match between Chinese and Russian youth teams in northern China's city of Tianjin.

Calling the game a demonstration of friendship between the Chinese and Russian teens, Xi told Putin that China is willing to work with Russia on exchanges and cooperation in sports such as ice hockey.

With many nations feeling isolated and the world still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, China's endeavor of promoting the Olympic ideal of universal solidarity can help to draw the world back together.

"We need this solidarity to be able to address the great challenges of humankind. There is not only the virus and maybe future health challenges. This is about a sustainable development in a holistic way," said Bach.