“You and me, From one world, We are family. Travel dream, A thousand miles, Meeting in Beijing.” At the opening ceremony of the 29th Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, British singer Sarah Brightman and Chinese singer Liu Huan sang the beautiful Olympic theme song “You and Me”, which still lingers on after the great success of the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

In 2022, China’s capital Beijing and Zhangjiakou City of Hebei Province will jointly hold the 24th Winter Olympics and Paralympics. This is the second time that China enters into the “Olympic Time”. Once again, the world's attention is on China, on Beijing.

Lately, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a phone call with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach that China is confident in successfully holding the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on schedule, and is ready to work with the IOC and the international community to ensure that the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will be a simple, safe and wonderful Olympic event. Making the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games a complete success is a solemn commitment made by the Chinese government and people to the international Olympic community.

In the face of the severe challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the global economic recession, China has always been active in fulfilling its commitments in its Olympic bid in line with its responsibility as a major country. China took the lead in controlling the domestic epidemic and realizing economic and social recovery, which created favorable conditions for the successful holding of the Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

With the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics less than nine months away, China is steadily carrying forward all preparations in order to host the games on schedule. The construction of all 12 competition venues has been completed on time, the organization of the games and operation of the venues are being carried out in an orderly manner, logistical efforts are picking up steam, and publicity, promotion, and cultural activities are going on orderly. China has carried out test runs of snow and ice sports and effectively tested key elements involved in holding the games. 

China stands ready to work with the IOC to strengthen Covid-19 vaccine cooperation and jointly build an effective line of protection for athletes participating in the games. China will organize various test runs in the second half of the year so as to lay a firmer foundation for the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

In the preparations of the games, China has always been committed to the principle of hosting “Green, Inclusive, Open, Clean” Olympics. Hosting Green Olympics, requires ecological priority, resource conservation, and environmental friendliness, laying a beautiful China background for the Winter Olympics. 

The location and construction of the Winter Olympics venues adhere to the concept of green development. National Aquatics Center, known as the “Water Cube”, creatively set up a curling venue over the swimming pool to realize the “water-to-ice conversion”, which is unprecedented in the world.

Hosting Inclusive Olympics requires shared participation, shared efforts, and mutual benefit so that the Winter Olympics will have positive social effects. The Beijing-Zhangjiakou High-speed Railway was completed and opened to traffic, and the development of the ice and snow sports industry helped the Chongli District of Zhangjiakou alleviate poverty. The 2022 Winter Olympics brought tangible benefits to the people.

Hosting Open Olympics requires facing the world, facing the future, and facing modernization, to make the Winter Olympics a booster for opening up.

Hosting Clean Olympics, requires diligence and thrift, prevention of corruption, improving efficiency, and upholding zero tolerance for doping issues, to make the Winter Olympics as clean and pure as ice and snow.

In the process of preparing for the Winter Olympics, China makes full use of the venues of the 2008 Olympic Games, uses renewable energy, embodies Chinese cultural characteristics, pays attention to cultural heritage, and provides Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions, and Chinese strength for the development of the Olympic movements.

In the first half of this year, China’s Foreign Ministry and Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games have invited three batches of foreign envoys to visit Beijing Winter Olympics venues. A total of over 300 envoys and diplomats from 123 embassies in China and 11 international organizations in China visited venues in Beijing, Zhangjiakou, and Yanqing competition zones. Envoys, including Iran’s Ambassador to China, H.E. Mr. Keshavarzzadeh, spoke highly of the timely and efficient completion of venues and facilities by China despite the COVID-19 impacts, said they were impressed by green and low-carbon development, scientific and technological innovation, and the combination of the Chinese culture and the Olympics displayed in venue construction, and were full of expectations and confidence in China's hosting of a simple, safe and excellent Olympics.

During China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Iran this March, Iranian Foreign Minister Mr. Zarif expressed Iran’s firm support for China hosting the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics is a grand event for all countries and a stage of fair competition for athletes from all over the world. 

Ice and snow sports are popular in Iran, many Iranians love skiing, skating, and the like. Iranian ice and snow athletes also rank among the top in the Middle East. China warmly welcomes athletes from Iran and other countries to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics, and jointly build the event a broad platform to promote friendship between people of all countries in the world. 

“Travel dream, A thousand miles.” We are looking forward to see you in Beijing!