Beijing bid shows good response

Chinese officials express confidence after they press their case in Switzerland

Vice-Premier Liu Yandong reiterated Beijing's promise to deliver a successful Winter Olympics and greatly promote winter sports during a presentation to the International Olympic Committee on June 9.

An eight-member panel put forward the Chinese capital's case at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games Candidate City Briefing in Lausanne, Switzerland. Beijing is bidding jointly with Zhangjiakou in Hebei province to stage the 2022 event.

After the briefing, Liu added: "We have just enjoyed very effective communication with the IOC members. We shared all of our ideas on Beijing's bid for the Olympic Winter Games and fortunately, all of our strengths were recognized by the IOC members. After this conversation with the IOC, we are now filled with even more confidence in our bid."

The panel said the country is expanding the Chinese Olympic Museum and plans to hold an International Winter Sports Expo every year to share with the world the vast business opportunities in China's thriving winter sports industry.

It also highlighted the passion for winter sports felt by young people in China.

"Nationwide support for our bid exceeds 90 percent, according to opinion polls by both the IOC and Beijing 2022 bid committee," Liu said. "The Chinese people, especially the energetic and enthusiastic younger generation, truly wish to host the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing in 2022."

Wang Anshun, the mayor of Beijing and president of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee, described the exceptional legacy of the Beijing 2008 Summer Games and said the committee is seeking to contribute to the accountability of the Olympic Movement.

"The annual average use of the 2008 venues, including the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube, exceeds 85 percent," Wang said. "More than half of Beijing's population regularly participates in sports. And over 2.6 million registered volunteers play important roles in city development, as well as in people's lives."

Turning to China's financial ability to host a successful Games, the presentation emphasized that the financial plan for Beijing 2022 is responsible and practical, makes full use of existing venues, and is validated by intense interest from both public and private enterprise investors. Enterprise finance comprises 65 percent of venue capital investment, reflecting the strong market economy.

Winter sports have been developing rapidly. The Chinese Olympic Committee has been implementing numerous promotional programs with dedicated budgets to attract 300 million people to ice and snow sports.

On June 1, an IOC evaluation report on the candidate cities praised the Chinese capital's rich experience and "world-class" sports facilities from hosting major events.

The assessment was based on visits by an evaluation commission to Beijing and its partner city, Zhangjiakou, as well as Almaty in Kazakhstan, in March.

The report also highlighted Beijing's vision to promote winter sports among 300 million people in North China, which would improve overall health and fitness.

Wang said the city had been praised for elements central to its bid, "such as our focus on athletes, sustainability, and cost-efficiency."

However, the race to host the Games is far from over.

The Beijing government has introduced several measures to tackle the air pollution problem, including closing or relocating polluting factories, and is pushing the use of green energy, including e-cars, which help reduce vehicle emissions.

So far, the efforts are paying off. Average levels of PM2.5 - harmful particles that are small enough to enter the bloodstream - have fallen 19 percent in the first five months of this year compared with the same period in 2014.

According to the city's bid, events in alpine skiing, bobsled, luge and skeleton would be held at purpose-built facilities in Yanqing, while other snow sports would be at refurbished venues in Chongli.

"There would be enough snow for skiing despite the fact it doesn't snow much in Beijing and its outlying urban areas," Zhao Yinggang, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing 2022 bid committee, said.

Snow fell on Zhangjiakou 26 times between November and April, while Yanqing had its most recent dusting in early May, according to the bid committee. Zhao added that an advanced artificial snow system would also ensure events could go ahead even in extremely dry conditions.

To address the IOC commission's comments about potential damage to the ecosystem, representatives for Zhangjiakou and Yanqing have pledged that environmental protection will be a top priority in the construction of Olympic venues.

"Sustainability and ecological sensitivity will be key when we draft plans to develop skiing facilities and businesses," said Wang Biao, director of the Beijing 2022 Zhangjiakou operation center.

Zhang Suzhi, deputy head of Yanqing, also stressed that detailed plans have been made to protect forests and water resources in the Songshan National Nature Reserve, which would be used by the Games.

"Developing a skiing industry will help transform a (county) economy based on traditional, water-consuming farming into one based on green business, such as ecotourism," he said.

Contact the writers through tuoyannan@chinadaily.com.cn and sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn