China's Countdown to the 'Beijing Winter Olympics'... Boosting the Olympics

China in Full Swing Preparing Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Confident in Successful Olympic Hosting
Western Bloc Including US Moves to Boycott Beijing Winter Olympics

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] China has begun the countdown (D-1 year) for the '2022 Beijing Winter Olympics' and is promoting the Winter Olympics. The Beijing Winter Olympics are scheduled to be held for 17 days from February 4 to 20 next year.

China's state-run Global Times reported on the 4th that the Beijing Winter Olympics are one year away, and various events are being prepared according to COVID-19 prevention requirements. The media added that preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics have entered the final stage, with full-scale preparations for the opening and closing ceremonies underway.

Earlier, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the Capital Indoor Stadium located in Haidian District, Beijing, as well as the National Alpine Ski Center and National Bobsleigh Center in Yanqing District to inspect the venues and encourage the athletes.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The state-run People's Daily filled the entire front page on the 21st of last month with photos of President Xi's inspection of the Winter Olympic venues. Xinhua News Agency also reported that this was President Xi's fourth inspection of the Winter Olympic host sites since 2017, showing confidence in hosting the Olympics amid the significant challenges posed by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Chinese media such as China Central Television (CCTV) extensively covered President Xi's inspection of the Winter Olympic venues.

President Xi's call with Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), reflects the Chinese leadership's dedication to the Winter Olympics.

In the call, President Xi said, "All preparations will be completed on time," and added, "We will ensure that the Beijing Winter Olympics achieve the honor of perfect success."

Despite this atmosphere in China, Western countries including the United States are showing movements to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics. In fact, a coalition of 180 human rights organizations, including the World Uyghur Congress and the International Tibet Network, recently sent an open letter urging world leaders to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics. The letter stated that the Olympics should be boycotted to prevent them from being exploited amid China's intensification of human rights abuses and suppression of dissenters.

The influential United States also seems to be joining. According to foreign media, six Republican senators in the U.S. submitted a resolution to withdraw from the Beijing Winter Olympics. In the resolution, they stated, "China has massacred Uyghurs in Xinjiang, suppressed democracy in Hong Kong, and threatened Taiwan," and urged, "The 2022 Winter Olympics hosting application should be reconsidered so that a country that recognizes and respects human rights can host it." They also argued, "China, which operates repressive detention camps and systematically suppresses Hong Kong residents, should not host the Olympics."

In response, Chinese spokesperson Wang Wenbin criticized, saying, "The Beijing Winter Olympics will be a very excellent event," and "Attempts to disrupt and sabotage the games for political reasons are very irresponsible." Wang added, "Such attempts will neither gain international support nor succeed."

The Global Times emphasized, "China's hosting of the Winter Olympics aligns with the Olympic spirit," and "The successful hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics is a collective challenge against COVID-19."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.