Editor's note: The translators DUO Renyue and ZHU Xuehan are students of School of Foreign Languages and Literature of Beijing Normal University.

The Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 officially opened on the evening of February the fourth. This is the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that a comprehensive worldwide sporting event is held as scheduled. Scholars believe that this Winter Olympics will promote unity and peace around the world and strengthen international cooperation to address global challenges.

Currently, the global economy continues to be depressed. The raging pandemic and the geopolitical games between major countries exacerbate the downturn. When meeting with Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed that the notion of “Together” championed by the Olympic Movement is needed more than ever. Instead of riding separately in some 190 small boats, countries around the world should stay together in one giant vessel and sail toward a brighter future. That is why we put forth “Together for a Shared Future” as the official motto for the Beijing 2022 Games. Bach said again on February 3 that the mission of the Winter Olympics is to unite the world, with athletes competing in a peaceful and fair environment and building bridges of friendship between each other.

Scholars: Conveying confidence in maintaining world peace

According to Dr. Ruan Zongze, Executive Vice President at China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), one of the major reasons why the Covid-19 is continuing to spread around the world today is the failure of countries to work together caused by the division of the international community. The Winter Olympics will make a great difference in strengthening the world’s solidarity. According to Dr. Ruan, China’s hosting of the Winter Olympics as scheduled also conveys confidence in maintaining peaceful development to the world and provides a communication opportunity for people from different regions and cultural backgrounds to know, understand and respect each other, which plays an important role in eliminating misunderstandings.

Due to the differences in history, culture and national conditions, some people in Western countries had a poor understanding of China’s anti-epidemic measures before. “It’s really good, and I feel very safe,” Australia’s athlete Britt Cox, set to compete in her fourth Olympic Games, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation after her closed-loop experience. “If the views of the Australian Moguls Team represented the athletes competing in Beijing, the closed-loop management could be very popular,” the report said.

In addition to enhancing people’s understanding of China, the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games puts stress on sports to build another bridge of communication and dialogue between countries. Although the global pandemic remains challenging, 32 international dignitaries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, attended the opening ceremony of Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and other related activities.

Previously, six countries including the United States, Australia, Canada had publicly expressed that using diplomatic means boycotts the 2022 Winter Olympics, and Japan also adopted the so-called “China-related human rights resolution” on the eve of the 2022 Winter Olympics. However, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UNGA President Abdulla Shahid, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WIPO Director-General Daren Tang and other officials arrived in Beijing on the same plane. Even U.S. White House Press Secretary said that U.S. President Joe Biden would “absolutely” watch the Winter Olympics. Observers believe that the mainstream of the world still hopes to strengthen mutual understanding, cooperation and friendship among countries through sporting exchanges, which is the essence of the Olympic spirit.

https://www.zaobao.com/wencui/political/story20220205-1239597