Event spurs region's coordinated growth

The Winter Olympics in 2022 has become a shot in the arm for the integration of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

The Games, jointly hosted by Beijing and Zhangjiakou of Hebei province, will give a huge boost to the region's transportation, environment and public service.

Li Sen, director of the General Planning Department of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, said the competition areas in Beijing and Hebei province are being connected with a high-speed railway, three expressways and several trunk roads.

"High-speed railway and expressway are important part of a large railway and road network of the country," he said. "Preparation for the Winter Games have brought these projects ahead of time."

The Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway, as well as an expressway linking Yanqing district of Beijing and Chongli district of Zhangjiakou, will be opened by the end of 2019, Li said. Yanqing and Chongli will host some of the competition events in 2022.

"By then, Beijing and Zhangjiakou will be within a 'one-hour transport circle', which will bring the two cities closer than ever," he said.

Meanwhile, Beijing and Hebei province have been closely working together in environmental protection and industrial upgrading during the preparation for the games, Li said.

To meet the environmental requirement of the Games, both Beijing and Hebei province have spent huge efforts to curb sandstorms and reduce water and air pollution.

With Beijing's advantage in science and technology innovation and Zhangjiakou's clean energy and high-quality green agricultural products, both sides are trying to complement each other in industrial upgrading.

In terms of public services, Beijing has increased its support for Zhangjiakou in fields such as education and healthcare to help Zhangjiakou enhance its public service capability.

All of these efforts will continue to be a great legacy after the Winter Games are held in 2022, he said.

The preparation for the Games has also greatly contributed to poverty alleviation efforts in Zhangjiakou.

"The Games will be conducive to industrial upgrading and boost employment of local farmers in Zhangjiakou," Li said.

In 2018, the rural per capita disposable income in Zhangjiakou witnessed a year-on-year increase of 11 percent, according to Li Li, deputy director of the Zhangjiakou Operation Center of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

"The upcoming Winter Games has brought Zhangjiakou tangible benefits," she said. "Especially in Chongli, where many farmers have begun to take ski-related jobs such as ski instructors or opening small hotels for skiers."

A ski instructor can earn 40,000 to 50,000 yuan ($5,959 to $7,448) each winter and a small hotel can also bring in an income of more than 50,000 yuan a year, Li Li said.

Zhao Wen, head of the Beijing Bureau of Sports, said the Winter Games is also a hard-earned opportunity to boost integration of the sports industry in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

"We hope to speed up integration of the sports industry in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area by sharing talent, capital and information," Zhao said.

Zhang Zefeng, head of the Hebei Provincial Administration of Sports, said the province has rolled out a series of policies to create a better environment for the development of winter sports.

Improved transportation infrastructure, accommodation and services will continue to provide huge opportunities for winter sports, even after the Games, he said.

Bao Mingxiao, director of the China Sports Economy Research Center, said ice and snow sports and outdoor sports such as running and cycling are among projects on which the region's areas can cooperate.

(China Daily 04/27/2019 page6)