original title:First Observation｜Understand the meaning behind this Winter Olympics long list
On January 28, there is still one week before the opening of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. The release of a list attracts attention-
A closer look at this list shows that the guests attending the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics are broadly representative: from Africa to Latin America, from Asia to Europe, as well as heads of international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization. Against the backdrop of the raging global COVID-19 epidemic, this list fully demonstrates the world‘s trust and support for China, and it also tests China’s level of epidemic prevention and competition in the face of complex and severe situations.
From this unusual long list, we have read several deep meanings.
The appeal of “Together to the Future”
The Olympic Games belong to the whole world, and the Olympic Games are a grand event for all mankind. Hosting the Winter Olympics is a major event for the Chinese people, and President Xi Jinping has always been here.
The Beijing Winter Olympics is the first Winter Olympics to be held after the Olympic motto “More Unity” was added, and it is also the first global comprehensive sports event to be held as scheduled since the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic.
Regarding the special significance of hosting the Winter Olympics, President Xi Jinping emphasized during his meeting with IOC President Bach on January 25 that the “more unity” advocated by the Olympic Movement is what is most needed in today’s era. Instead of being on more than 190 small boats, all countries in the world share a better future than one big boat, so we put forward the Beijing Winter Olympics slogan “Together to the Future”.
“Together” – a sincere invitation to the Winter Olympics, gives people warmth and strength; “Future” – with hopes and dreams, is an inexhaustible driving force for people to overcome difficulties and work together.
“Together to the future” not only embodies the Olympic values of unity, friendship and progress, but also embodies the consistent Chinese proposition and the world sentiments it contains: watching and helping people from all over the world to create a better future together.
Athletes slide on the National Cross Country Ski Center track on January 27.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Mou Yu
In fact, around the Beijing Winter Olympics, there are many international struggles and contests. On the one hand, it is the “main theme” of actively affirming China’s contribution to the Olympic cause, looking forward to the successful hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics, and supporting all countries in the world to jointly tackle the crisis and move towards a better tomorrow; The so-called “human rights issues” are used as excuses to clamor not to send government officials to the Beijing Winter Olympics.
It is in line with the old Chinese saying – “the way you get the way, the more help you get, the less help you get when you lose the way.” Discrediting, boycotting and interfering with the Winter Olympics by individual countries is against the trend of history. After all, it is unpopular and destined to go bankrupt. Opposing the politicization of sports has become a common voice of the international community.
On January 25, President Xi Jinping presided over a video summit marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the five Central Asian countries. At the summit, the heads of the five Central Asian countries all expressed their eagerness to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics in China, and expressed their enthusiasm for the Beijing Winter Olympics. will support. Judging from the list released today, all five heads of state are on the list.
More unity is the voice of the Olympic family and the voice of the people of the world.
“Vote of Confidence” for Safely Doing the Olympics
“The success of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics is a major event for the party and the country, and it is our solemn commitment to the international community.” President Xi Jinping has always attached great importance to and personally promoted the preparations for the Winter Olympics.
Keeping promises is the consistent style of China.
Against the backdrop of the global pandemic, the preparations for the Winter Olympics have kept the work uninterrupted, the intensity not weakened, and the standards not lowered. After more than six years of preparation, the preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics have been completed and will be held as scheduled.
Facing the challenge of the epidemic, the Beijing Winter Olympics can be held as scheduled and successfully, which fully demonstrates China’s image and responsibility as a major country that keeps its promises.
On January 20, the Shougang Ski Jumping Platform, located in Shougang Park, Shijingshan District, Beijing, opened a light show.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Peng Ziyang
At present, the Omicron strain is still spreading around the world, but China is confident and capable of hosting the Olympics safely. The International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee and the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee have issued two editions of the Epidemic Prevention Manual. China is strictly implementing various prevention and control measures in accordance with the requirements of the Epidemic Prevention Manual, and is doing its best to prevent the outbreak and ensure The health and safety of all personnel participating in the Beijing Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics.
At the same time, China has set an example and persevered, and actively contributed to the global anti-epidemic cooperation – the first commitment to make the new crown vaccine as a global public good, support for vaccine intellectual property rights exemption, and launch the “Belt and Road” vaccine partnership initiative…
When a thousand people are of one mind, they gain the strength of a thousand people;
More and more countries have given positive comments and high recognition to China’s contribution and initiatives in promoting global anti-epidemic cooperation.
On January 25, when meeting with President Xi Jinping, Bach expressed his admiration for the comprehensiveness of China’s epidemic prevention measures, and said, “I believe that China’s strong measures will ensure the safety, smoothness and success of this Winter Olympics”;
On the same day, President Xi Jinping announced a series of major measures to strengthen anti-epidemic cooperation with the five Central Asian countries at the video summit marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the five Central Asian countries. The Winter Olympics will surely bring more confidence and hope to the world.
The epidemic is like a yardstick that measures a country’s governance capacity and level of governance. Political dignitaries and heads of international organizations from many countries came to China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, which is not only a positive affirmation of China’s anti-epidemic achievements, but also confidence in the safe holding of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Affinity for sports as a “media”
President Xi Jinping once pointed out: “Sports can not only improve people’s health, but also promote mutual understanding and friendship between people of all countries. The Olympic spirit of unity, friendship and peace is deeply rooted in China’s hearts.”
Sports is the common language of all mankind. From the “ping-pong diplomacy” recorded in history to the joint admission of the DPRK and the ROK at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, sports play an important role in building a bridge for communication and dialogue between different countries and ethnic groups.
For a long time, President Xi Jinping has used sports to promote the friendship between countries and people, and spared no effort to promote the development of the Olympic Movement.
In February 2014, on the occasion of the Spring Festival, President Xi Jinping traveled thousands of miles to Russia to attend the opening ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics, creating a precedent for the Chinese head of state to attend large-scale international sports events held abroad;
In 2017, which was also his first visit in the new year, President Xi Jinping came to Switzerland, the “roof of Europe”, during which he made a special trip to the International Olympic Committee headquarters in Lausanne. Bach said that this “historic” visit once again confirmed the long-term and good cooperative relationship between China and the International Olympic Committee, and reflected President Xi’s emphasis on the diverse values of sports and the development of sports.
Actors perform during the rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics on January 22.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Yanan
The Beijing Winter Olympics are about to start. This ice and snow event has far-reaching significance for showing a real, three-dimensional and comprehensive China, the integration of Chinese culture and Olympic culture, and the exchange and mutual learning between China and the world‘s civilizations.
“Hundreds of millions of Chinese people and I welcome friends from all over the world, and we will meet in Beijing in 2022! Welcome you, welcome friends!” At the closing ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, President Xi Jinping sent a sincere invitation to the world through video.
The pace of the Beijing Winter Olympics is getting closer and closer, and the enthusiasm of the international community has been ignited.
Come on, “together to the future”!
Producer: Zhao Cheng, Xu Jiren
Planning: Zhou Jie, Huo Xiaoguang
Main writers: Su Bin, Lin Deren, Wang Bin
Coordination: Liu Hua, Wang Xuan
Vision | Editor: Wu Jingjing, Hao Xiaojing
Co-produced by Xinhua News Agency and the Ministry of Sports
Produced by the first studio of Xinhua News Agency