Chinese Vice-Premier meets IOC President

BEIJING - Chinese Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan met with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach on Monday.

Sun said that the Chinese government attaches great importance to and strongly supports the preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics, stressing the idea of hosting the Games on a green, sharing, open and clean basis. She added that China strives to deliver the world a splendid, fantastic and extraordinary Winter Olympics.

The Beijing Winter Olympic Games are progressing well on all fronts, with venue construction and basic infrastructure construction accelerating and competition organizing work and peripheral services being strengthened, she added.

Sun also explained that the Beijing Winter Olympics will coincide with a call for the development and popularization of winter sports, as well as balance competitive sports and mass sports to meet the needs of a healthy society.

Bach, for his part, spoke highly of China's preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics, and praised China's work for the development of the worldwide Olympic Movement.