Chinese president meets IOC president, pledges to make 2022 Winter Olympics an excellent event

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Time：2017-01-09

Chinese PresidentXi Jinping(C) and his wife Peng Liyuan (2nd R), together withInternational Olympic Committee(IOC) President Thomas Bach (3rd R) and his wife(3rd L), pose for a group photowith other IOC Chinese members in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. Xi metwith Bach at the International Olympic Museum on Wednesday. (Xinhua/LanHongguang)

LAUSANNE, Jan. 18(Xinhua) -- Chinese PresidentXi Jinpingmet withInternational Olympic Committee(IOC) President Thomas Bach here on Wednesday, and pledged to make Beijing 2022Winter Olympic Games a "remarkable, extraordinary and excellentevent."

During the meetingwith Bach at the International Olympic Museum in the Swiss city of Lausanne, Xiexpressed his appreciation to the consistent and important contributions of theIOC, Bach and IOC Honorary President Jacques Rogge to the sound development ofthe international Olympic Movement, and their great help to China's sportscause.

China is a firmsupporter and an active participant of the Olympic Games, said Xi. Beijing willbe holding the Winter Olympic Games in 2022, making it the world's first cityof both holding a Summer Olympic Games and a Winter Olympic Games.

The preparationsfor the 2022 Winter Olympics will be a major task for China in the years tocome. China will prepare and host the 2022 Games in a green, sharing, open andclean-fingered manner, Xi pledged.

The Chinesepresident said that China will take the 2022 Olympics as an opportunity tofacilitate the nation's competitive sports and mass sports, so as to improvethe health of all Chinese people, one of the goals of an overall well-offsociety that China has been pursuing.

Hosting the 2022Winter Olympics will also boost the economic growth of China and othercountries sitting along the Belt and Road routes, and enhance regional peaceand stability, Xi added.

For his part, Bachwelcomed Xi's historic visit to the IOC headquarters in Lausanne.

The IOC, like theinternational community, has been paying great attention to China's reform anddevelopment. It believes that China will make more achievements in variousareas like politics, economy, culture and sports in the future, Bach said.

The internationalcommunity looks forward to Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. The IOC standsready to work with China in the preparations to make it a fascinating event,and help the Chinese people realize their dreams, the IOC president noted.

Bach and his wife also accompanied Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan to take atour at the International Olympic Museum, and watched various Olympic-relatedexhibitions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) meets with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach at the International Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach at the International Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, visits the International Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. Xi met with Bach at the International Olympic Museum on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

Chinese President Xi Jinping introduces a Chinese embroidery showing ancient Chinese football game, a gift to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), to IOC President Thomas Bach, in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. Xi met with Bach at the International Olympic Museum on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach pose for photo on a champion podium in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. Xi met with Bach at the International Olympic Museum on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) talks with International Olympic Committee (IOC) Honorary President Jacques Rogge (R) in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. Xi met with IOC President Thomas Bach (C) at the International Olympic Museum on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, views a medals exhibition in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. Xi met with Bach at the International Olympic Museum on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach view the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games original announcement paper during a visit to the International Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. Xi met with Bach at the International Olympic Museum on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd R) and his wife Peng Liyuan (2nd L), together with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach (1st R) and his wife, pose for a group photo outside the International Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. Xi met with Bach at the International Olympic Museum on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach view a photo of Bach during a visit to the International Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. Xi met with Bach at the International Olympic Museum on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach pose in front of a photo of Bach during a visit to the International Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. Xi met with Bach at the International Olympic Museum on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach view the badminton racket used by former Chinese world champion Li Lingwei during a visit to the International Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. Xi met with Bach at the International Olympic Museum on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)