France hopes China cooperation will help Olympic bid

French Sports Minister Patrick Kanner delivers a speech during an event at French Embassy in Beijing, Feb 16, 2017. [Photo by Zhan Qianhui/chinadaily.com.cn]

France is hoping to boost its chances of winning the right to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games by cooperating with China, the host of the Winter Olympics in 2022.

"France would love to share its experience of hosting sports events with China as both countries are major sports powers," French Sports Minister Patrick Kanner said during a visit to Beijing on Thursday.

"I have been to Zhangjiakou (co-host city of 2022 Winter Olympics) in 2015 and witnessed a series of deals on mountain sports cooperation between China and France. Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong's French visit last July further strengthened Sino-French football exchange by signing a deep cooperation agreement."

Kanner said the agreements show great confidence in the two countries' cooperative prospects in sports.

Kanner is on a three-day visit in China to further promote the sports partnership and sign a new round of agreements on mountain sports.

Laurent Wauquiez, President of the Regional Council of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in France delivers a speech during an event at French Embassy in Beijing, Feb 16, 2017. [Photo by Zhan Qianhui/chinadaily.com.cn]

Competing against two strong bidders, Budapest of Hungary and Los Angeles of America, for the 33rd Summer Olympics, France acknowledges Beijing's achievement in becoming the first city to host both summer and winter Olympic Games.

"We believe that, to win the 2024 Olympics bidding, first things first, we need to have a good partnership with Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics," Laurent Wauquiez, President of the Regional Council of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in France, said.

"France has successfully held Winter Olympic Games three times and we are very ready to offer our experiences and resources to help Beijing. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is the world's largest skiing district and owns unique skiing resources. We are looking forward to becoming China's biggest skiing partnership," Wauquiez said.

Recognizing China's great success in hosting a series of major world sports event, Wauquiez was impressed by the Chinese people's vigor and power.

"We all know that French are romantic, which is true. Besides that, we French are also very pragmatic. We are very confident that France will amaze the world by throwing a great Olympic event," Wauquiez said.

France, the home of the father of the modern Olympic Games Pierre do Coubertin, hosted the Summer Olympics in 1900 and 1924. The European country has won worldwide recognition with its rich experience in hosting major sports events.