President Xi Jinping (center), also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with athletes and coaches while visiting the Capital Gymnasium in Haidian district, Beijing, capital of China, Jan 18, 2021. (WANG YE / XINHUA)
China will complete the preparatory work for the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games as scheduled to ensure the events are a full success, President Xi Jinping pledged on Monday.
Xi made the remark in a telephone conversation with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
China has taken the lead in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic at home and its economy has begun to recover, creating favorable conditions for holding the Games, Xi said.
Construction of the venues for the Games and other infrastructure facilities has made marked progress at the current stage, and other related work is also going full steam ahead, President Xi Jinping said
He said the nation has been steadily moving forward with the preparatory work for the Games amid the difficulties resulting from the pandemic by implementing strict epidemic control measures.
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Construction of the venues for the Games and other infrastructure facilities has made marked progress at the current stage, and other related work is also going full steam ahead, Xi said, adding that Beijing will make a unique contribution to the Olympics as the only city in the world to host both summer and winter Olympic Games.
He commended the IOC's full efforts in responding to the pandemic as well as in upholding the unity and stability of the Olympic Games, saying that China will always support the committee's work.
China stands ready to work with the IOC and other countries to make efforts to hold the Tokyo Olympics as well as the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in a safe and smooth manner, he said.
Bach congratulated China for its outstanding achievements in fighting the pandemic as well as ensuring economic recovery under the leadership of Xi, saying that the country will become an important engine for world economic growth.
He said the IOC supports China in hosting the Winter Olympics in 2022 with a "green, inclusive, open and clean" approach. The IOC stays committed to upholding the Olympic spirit and is opposed to politicizing sporting activities, Bach said.
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Also on Monday night, Xi held a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit.
While hailing the sound development of bilateral ties over the past 17 years, Xi said China is willing to provide anti-pandemic assistance to developing countries, including Dominica, and will strive to make the vaccines for COVID-19 accessible and affordable to people of all countries.
Skerrit called China a trustworthy and genuine friend, and said Dominica supports the one-China principle and China's peaceful reunification.
