On the afternoon of May 5, Yin Li, Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Beijing Municipal Committee, met with Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Yin expressed his gratitude to President Bach and the IOC for their great support for the preparation for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, noting that with the success of the event, Beijing has become the world’s first and only “dual Olympic city”. The invaluable legacy of the Games has breathed new life into the capital’s development, as exemplified by the Shougang Park—a new city landmark, the unflagging passion of citizens for winter sports, and the booming “Winter Olympics economy” underpinned by the sports industry and ice and snow tourism. All competition venues are now open to the public. The Beijing Institute for International Olympic Studies has become an important hub for global Olympic research, and relevant exchanges and cooperation. Teenagers can now learn about the culture and spirit of the Games in hundreds of specialty schools for ice and snow sports and Olympic education demonstration schools. Beijing hopes to intensify cooperation with the IOC, the city’s closest partner, to attract high-level sports events, winter sports events, and training programs to the city, as part of the joint effort to spread the Olympic culture and promote the experience of preserving and utilizing the Olympic legacy. With the support of the IOC, Beijing would like to strengthen interaction and cooperation with the world’s Olympic cities in various fields such as culture, education, and trade and economy, so as to advance the sustainable development of the Olympic cause together.

Bach praised the Beijing Winter Games as an unprecedented and spectacular event. He thanked the Chinese government and people for their significant contribution to the success of the Games. Highlighting the rich legacy of the Games and the benefits brought to the general public, he expressed his hope that Beijing can share more successful practices with the world in hosting the Games, utilizing the legacy, promoting winter sports, and organizing volunteer services. He also looked forward to continued close cooperation between Beijing and the IOC to promote the global Olympic movement and the Olympic spirit.

Municipal leaders Xia Linmao, Zhao Lei, and Sima Hong attended the meeting.

(Written by Gao Zhi;  Photo by Zhang Lichao)