Alaska extends a helping hand

Chinese athletes will soon arrive in the northwest US state of Alaska to start training for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Alaska's KVTA TV reported on Monday.

The training program is part of a memorandum of understanding signed between Alaska Pacific University (APU) and the sports authorities of Heilongjiang province during an Alaska trade mission that Governor Bill Walker took to China last month.

"This memorandum is the cornerstone for further cooperation between America and China, especially on snow sports," Yang Meng, director for international exchange at the Heilongjiang sports authority, said after the signing ceremony.