Olympic 'relay' between civilizations

As the Olympic flame moves toward the Alps for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, held from Friday to Feb 22, the world's attention shifts from the Great Wall to the Dolomites, a stunning mountain range in northeast Italy.

This transition represents more than a sporting handover, it represents a seamless "relay" of cooperation between China and Italy.

Over time, collaboration between the two ancient civilizations has grown beyond diplomatic exchanges into a multidimensional partnership. Through technological integration, people-to-people engagement and the mutual inspiration of urban renewal, the two nations are using the Olympic platform to deepen connectivity, promote shared understanding and advance dialogue between cities and civilizations.

During the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Italy made an important contribution by providing professional technical support. TechnoAlpin, an Italian snow-making company based in Bolzano, supplied key snow-production systems for several Olympic venues. In a post-Games review on its official website, TechnoAlpin described the Beijing project as the largest and most technically complex snow-making operation in its history, highlighting the level of international coordination required to deliver a global sporting event.

Four years later, the direction of technological exchange has reversed. As preparations for Milano-Cortina 2026 advance, China is contributing cutting-edge broadcasting technologies to Italy's Olympic journey. From ultra-high-definition imaging to digital signal transmission, Chinese innovations have made their way to the Apennine Peninsula, where the distinctive "China red" color of professional broadcasting vehicles has become a striking sight.

By combining artificial intelligence, cloud-based production workflows and UHD broadcasting, Chinese technical teams are tailoring solutions to Italy's varied venues and Alpine environments. These technologies will deliver precise motion capture and immersive visuals to global audiences, blending 8K UHD images with three-dimensional audio. AI-assisted editing, time-slicing technologies and intelligent replay systems will reconstruct key moments of competition, enhancing both accuracy and storytelling.

In addition, Chinese technical teams equipped with 4K/8K UHD capabilities will produce the global public signal for the opening ceremony, providing an immersive UHD visual experience for audiences worldwide. From snow-making in Beijing to signal production in Milan, the collaboration between these two ancient civilizations continues to find new expression through innovation.

Olympic cooperation is rooted in open dialogue and genuine human connection. From the steady jogs in Beijing to the glowing flame in Milan, the journey of the Olympic torch itself becomes a moving story of cultural exchange. In the lead-up to Milano-Cortina 2026, a nationwide warm-up campaign was launched where participants ran 1 kilometer each, together covering 10,001 kilometers — a symbolic number reflecting the 10,001 torchbearers of the Winter Games. This collective relay transformed the torch into a living cultural thread, weaving together Chinese and Italian sporting traditions and shared dreams.

The story continues in Italy, where Chinese athletes, cultural figures, Olympic representatives, entrepreneurs and sports icons have joined the torch relay, embodying the Olympic values of unity, perseverance and mutual understanding.

In recent years, dialogue between Italy and China around the Winter Olympics has flourished through both official initiatives and technical cooperation. The Italian embassy in Beijing has hosted a series of Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic roadshows, bringing together government officials, athletes and business leaders to promote the winter sports culture and the Olympic values embraced by both countries.

But beyond diplomacy, real connections are being forged on the snow. For instance, Italian coach Norbert Huber, from South Tyrol, is mentoring China's national luge team, offering hands-on expertise drawn from Italy's rich tradition of winter sports. In this way, sports becomes a universal language where skills are exchanged, trust is built, and the snow itself becomes a common ground bringing cultures together beyond borders.

The Olympic Games have long served as a catalyst for reimagining cities and redefining their relationship with history, people and the future. During the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, this vision took concrete form at Shougang Park, a former industrial site revitalized with the participation of Italian designers. By weaving sustainability, inclusiveness and innovation into its renewal, the project preserved Beijing's industrial memory while transforming it into a lasting cultural and sporting landmark. The harmony between history and modernity embodied in Shougang closely resonates with the core ideals of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

As the Olympic torch arrived in Milan and Cortina, new channels of interaction opened between Italy and China.

During the Winter Games period, a series of high-quality feature television programs, together with the competition series, can offer Chinese audiences an immersive window into Italy's urban culture and Olympic journey. Through these stories, viewers can gain first-hand insight into Milan's creative vitality as a global capital of fashion and design, while also experiencing the breathtaking natural scenery of Cortina.

Once again, the Winter Olympics becomes a living bridge for urban civilizations, inviting cities to learn from one another, diverse cultures to connect, and people everywhere to share in the unfolding story of progress and understanding.

By turning the Olympic platform into a space for shared storytelling and cooperation, China and Italy demonstrate how major international events can enhance mutual understanding. Such exchanges enrich global communication, strengthen cultural confidence and contribute to an inclusive vision of civilizational dialogue rooted in openness and cooperation.

The author is an associate professor of Italian at the School of International Studies, Communication University of China.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

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