The Paper:

How is Zhangjiakou's preparation work progressing for the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympic Games, which will be jointly held by the city and Beijing?

Wang Dongfeng:

Thank you. Mr. Xu will respond to your question.

Xu Qin:

Thank you for your interest in the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The games will be a landmark event held at a critical historic juncture. General Secretary Xi Jinping has inspected the venues in both cities and made a series of important instructions, providing the direction and basic guidelines for the preparation work there. The CPC Hebei Provincial Committee and the People's Government of Hebei Province have adhered to General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions and taken the preparation work as our top priority. Bearing in mind the promise of hosting a green, inclusive, open and clean Games, we have rallied the support of the entire province and advanced the preparation work under the leadership of the Leading Group for the 24th Winter Olympic Games and the coordination of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, making efforts to ensure that the Games is hosted in a simple, safe, and wonderful manner. I will briefly introduce the preparation progress:

First, the venues and supporting infrastructure are ready. We are committed to creating high-quality projects based on our dedicated design and construction. In total, 76 Olympic projects in Zhangjiakou have been fully completed and hosted test competitions of snow events. You may have noted that the creative concept behind the main body of the National Ski Jumping Center comes from the traditional Chinese decorative ornament called "ruyi," and is a stylish international-standard ski jumping center. 

Second, Zhangjiakou has successfully held a series of test competitions. In February, arranged by the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, Zhangjiakou carried out 15 test events including the National Cross-Country Skiing Invitational Tournament and the National Freestyle Skiing Aerials Invitational Tournament, drawing around 11,000 participants across 59 contests. We targeted 28 areas for testing, carried out checks on venue facilities and various operation plans, and improved our work pattern that is marked by multilateral cooperation and high efficiency.

Third, a system has been formed to guarantee the provision of services for the Games. We have adhered to the principle of "three venues and one standard," and done our best to ensure COVID-19 prevention and control response and emergency rehearsals, and made sure athletes and guests will have a considerate and warm experience in terms of their transportation, accommodation, food, drink, medical care and volunteer services. In terms of transportation, the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed rail line has been put into operation, shortening the commute to under one hour and demonstrating the effect of city integration. Meanwhile, 28 hotels have signed contracts to guarantee the accommodation during the Games. We have also set strict standards to ensure food safety by carefully selecting food supply bases as well as regulating purchasing channels, storage and transportation types. In terms of medical care, we have designated 19 medical institutions and organized more than 800 health workers to provide professional services. Peking University Third Hospital has taken over the People's Hospital of Chongli District and built a regional medical center to provide strong sports medical support for the Winter Olympics. In terms of volunteers, we have recruited more than 14,000 "city volunteers" and nearly 5,000 volunteers for the competition.

Fourth, we are creating a strong atmosphere for the Winter Olympics. Focusing on carrying forward the spirit of the Winter Olympics and Chinese culture and showing the unique charm of winter sports, we have launched various publicity activities including special columns on various media on the Winter Olympics to create a positive atmosphere.

Fifth, the development of winter sports and related industries has been accelerated. Organizing the Winter Olympics spurs on the participation of the general public, while the public's participation also enhances the level of competitiveness, contributing to the building of a strong sports country. Hebei province has sent athletes to the national teams and held the provincial winter games for two consecutive years. We are working hard to achieve the goal of encouraging 30 million people to participate in winter sports as soon as possible. At the same time, Zhangjiakou has been approved as the national ice and snow equipment industry base, signing 86 related industry projects, including skiing equipment, wearable devices, training equipment and snow-making machines to promote the industry's development. In accordance with the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, we will accelerate developing Zhangjiakou into a zone for water source conservation and ecosystem and environment support for the capital, develop wind energy, photovoltaic technology, hydrogen energy, big data and other industries, build a Beijing-Zhangjiakou sports-culture tourism belt, and strive to deliver two "excellent answers" in terms of the preparation work for the Winter Olympics and local development.

Dear friends, winter sports are sports of verve and vitality and are becoming more and more popular in China. We extend a warm welcome to everyone who wants to visit Zhangjiakou in Hebei province, and feel the charm of the ice and the snow and to chase their Olympic dreams. In Zhangjiakou, you can ski and enjoy the snow scenery in winter and appreciate the beauty of forests and grasslands in summer. We sincerely invite guests from home and abroad to Zhangjiakou. Thank you all.