German man presents Beijing 2022 co-host city Zhangjiakou to world

Peter Merker, a German man who has lived in China for nearly 40 years, has showcased Zhangjiakou city in north China’s Hebei province, also a competition zone for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, to the world, calling it an international city characterized by rapid development and a thriving winter games industry.

Peter Merker (Photo/beijingreview.com.cn)

Previously a CEO of a German automobile company in China for 25 years, Merker from Berlin saw bright prospects for Zhangjiakou when it won the co-bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in 2015 along with Beijing.

Merker has worked as head of a center for international exchange and cooperation in Zhangjiakou since its inception in 2016, devoting himself to letting more people across the world know about the city.

He is also working on ways to exploit and utilize clean energy in Zhangjiangkou, bringing quality resources from abroad to the city, as well as helping local enterprises go global.

Merker became interested in Zhangjiakou during his childhood when he learnt about the camel caravans for trade that travelled across the city. He got a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Peking University in the 1980s, and later settled in Zhangjiakou.

Zhangjiakou, where trade flourished in ancient times, is embracing new opportunities today, Merker said.

Merker established a band and produced several original songs themed on the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics while publishing a book about how over 20 foreigners view the city.