Hangzhou Asian Games foster unity, promote green living

The recently concluded 19th Asian Games were undoubtedly the most spectacular sporting event of the year, with 15 world records broken.

It is disheartening that Western media, typically enamored with major sports events, showed little interest in reporting the groundbreaking achievements and failed to give proper recognition to the exceptional efforts of the record-breaking athletes.

The Games featured 11,830 athletes from 45 Asian countries and regions who gathered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, to compete for 481 gold medals in 40 sports at 56 competition venues.

These 45 countries account for 55 percent of the world's population. Notably, the total number of participants exceeded the 10,000 athletes registered for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.

Moreover, as the first significant carbon-neutral sporting event, the Asian Games incorporated environmentally sound guidelines into all aspects of planning and operations. The Games implemented green practices throughout, from construction and transportation to energy sourcing and waste management.

Green energy, particularly solar energy, powered all venues. Methanol fueled the central flame of the Games, electric vehicles transported athletes and media members between venues, recyclable water cleaning systems were used in swimming pools, and rain retention systems operated at all venues.

Furthermore, the Games launched a public participation, low-carbon living program in China called the One Kilogram Per Person initiative, which attracted over 100 million participants and earned a Guinness World Records certificate.

Similar initiatives were implemented in the Asian Games Village, where athletes and officials could earn low-carbon points by adopting nearly 20 green behaviors, such as minimizing food wastage, practicing green travel and sorting garbage. These points could be exchanged for low-carbon souvenirs.

The Asian Games set a trend and standard for future environmentally friendly sports events, contributing significantly to global climate change movements. Yet no voices of support or praise were heard from Western-financed NGOs or Western media regarding these constructive, standard-setting climate change initiatives.

Perhaps, Western media deliberately avoided showcasing China's success in the Games.

China won a record-breaking 201 gold medals and a total of 383 medals in 481 events, far surpassing Japan's 52 gold medals, for which it ranked second, and third-place South Korea's 42 gold.

Western media also might have been reluctant to showcase China's advanced innovative technology, which was on display at the Games. Twenty innovations at the Games were the first of their kind. It was the first "Smart Asian Games", incorporating numerous intelligent technologies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things and 5G. The core system of what has been called the first "cloud Asian Games" relied entirely on a cloud network, and technology played a vital role in managing the Games.

This meant that, compared with previous Asian Games, everything was executed faster, with a mere five-second delay from real-time competition results to the score being reflected in the system. The digital torchbearer in the opening ceremony was also particularly impressive.

At a time when the West, particularly the United States, has been attempting to instigate internal conflicts and confrontations in Asia to achieve hegemony, China has used the Asian Games to foster unity and harmony in the region.

Hangzhou provided a remarkable gathering for all Asians. The Asian Games Village and catering and cultural services received widespread praise from athletes, who frequently expressed their admiration for the accommodations and restaurants.

Moreover, competitors spoke highly of the atmosphere and sportsmanship displayed among athletes. Many scenes captured Chinese athletes embracing their opponents after games, offering encouragement and displaying true sportsmanship. The Asian Games showcased China's organizational capabilities and highlighted its spirit of fair play and diversity and the unity of Asian cultures.

At his welcoming banquet for the guests who attended the opening ceremony in Hangzhou, President Xi Jinping called for collective efforts to make Asia "an anchor of world peace". He emphasized that sports should serve to pursue good neighborliness and mutual benefit, and that a Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation should be rejected. He also stressed that the Asian Games should embody "the Asian people's shared desire for peace, unity and inclusiveness".

Xi's remarks were significant and resonated with the spirit of the Asian Games. Despite the smearing of China by Western media, the Asian Games provided a platform to showcase the openness, optimism and self-confidence of Chinese society.

The author is an honorary fellow at The University of Hong Kong's School of Professional and Continuing Education and a council member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.