Beijing 2022 venues witness China's commitment to Olympics

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects the National Ski Jumping Center in Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei Province, Jan. 19, 2021. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

President Xi Jinping says the competition venues are a clear demonstration of China's commitment to hosting a fantastic, extraordinary and excellent Olympic Winter Games in 2022.

BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, arrived at the Taizicheng station in Zhangjiakou on Tuesday for an inspection tour of the preparation work on the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Aerial photo taken on Jan. 19, 2021 shows the National Sliding Center in Yanqing District, Beijing. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

Thanks to the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed rail that opened at the end of 2019, it took him less than 50 minutes to cover some 200 kilometers between the two cities, a trip he flew four years ago when he inspected the Beijing 2022 co-host city.

The high-speed rail, which symbolizes "China Speed," marks essential progress in the preparations for the Winter Olympics, and so do the Games venues in Zhangjiakou, which were models on the sand table four years ago but now standing exquisitely on the ground.

Similarly, so does the Yanqing competition zone.

Two years ago, Xi greeted construction staff via video link when he visited the Olympic organizers' Shougang headquarters. On Monday, the General Secretary was there in person to view the completed National Sliding Center and the National Alpine Skiing Center, seeing with his own eyes China's first bobsled, skeleton and luge track as well as the country's first Olympic-standard Alpine piste.

The venue construction must meet the Olympic standards and be completed on time, Xi said during his inspection tour in 2019.

Two years have passed, and the promise has been delivered.

An aerial photo taken on Jan. 19, 2021 shows the National Sliding Center in Yanqing District, Beijing. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

By the end of 2020, all 12 competition venues for Beijing 2022 were completed, despite the uncertainties and challenges brought by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

This photo taken on Dec. 8, 2019 shows spectators watching the 2019 China Junior Curling Open girls' final at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

During the process, technology highlights such as using carbon dioxide as refrigerants in ice-making for the first time in an Olympic scenario, and transferable rinks for curling events over swimming lanes in the National Aquatic Center, demonstrated China's determination to host a "green, sharing, open and transparent" Games in alignment with Olympic Agenda 2020.

In a video speech during the final presentation of Beijing's bid for the 2022 Games in 2015, Xi said: "Let me assure you that, if you choose Beijing, the Chinese people will present to the world a fantastic, extraordinary and excellent Olympic Winter Games in Beijing."

With fewer than 400 days to go before the Games opens on February 4, 2022, the Chinese people are ready to honor that promise and welcome friends from all over the world.