Cooperation key to diplomacy, sports

Beijing will continue to work with IOC to advance Olympic movement

President Xi Jinping underscored on Friday the importance of the Olympic spirit for human civilization, saying that China will integrate this spirit with the country's traditional culture and vigorously boost its sports to make greater contributions to the cause of international sports.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.

Being an old friend of the Chinese people, Bach visited China shortly after he took office as IOC president in 2013. He has visited China a number of times to attend major sporting events such as the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games, the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.

Noting that China's successful hosting of these sporting events is inseparable from its close collaboration with the international body, Xi told the IOC chief that China will continue to work with the committee to advance the Olympic movement.

Bach appreciates China's longstanding support for the IOC and said that China's hosting of spectacular and unforgettable sporting events like the Beijing Winter Games had made significant contributions to the international Olympic movement.

He also spoke positively of China's efforts in advocating solidarity, cooperation, equality and respect, in upholding multilateralism, in opposing the politicization of sports, and in supporting developing countries to be more widely involved in international sports.

China has played an important role in promoting the healthy development of the Olympic movement, he said.

Bach expressed his belief that China will continue to achieve greater development accomplishments and make greater contributions to world peace, prosperity and progress.

mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn