Beijing mostly ready for Winter Olympics: Xi

Photo taken on Oct. 20, 2021 shows the cauldron during the welcoming ceremony for the flame of Olympic Winter Games at the Olympic Tower in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

BEIJING, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics are in full swing to present a streamlined, safe and splendid Games, and work on all fronts is mostly ready, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday.

During a virtual meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Xi said the event will make Beijing the first city in the world to host both Summer and Winter Olympics.

Putin will visit China and attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, scheduled for early February.

This will realize the exchanged visits of the two presidents to Olympic Games held in each other's countries, Xi said.

Noting that the two countries will hold the Year of Sports Exchange in the next two years, Xi stressed the need to take the opportunities to turn sports exchanges into a bridge and bond for greater mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.