China's President Xi visits winter Olympics venues as challenges mount
BEIJING (BLOOMBERG) - Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Beijing Winter Olympics venues a month before the games begin amid a worsening Covid-19 outbreak and diplomatic tensions with Western nations over human rights.
Mr Xi toured the National Speed Skating Oval, the athletes' village as well as the operations and media centres on Tuesday (Jan 4), according to state-run China Daily. The English-language newspaper said he greeted competitors, coaches and volunteers preparing for the event that runs Feb 4-20, without reporting his comments.
The 68-year-old and everyone else in photographs of his visit wore face masks, an unusual move for the Chinese leader who often appears in public unmasked - perhaps a sign of heightened caution as the city of Xi'an experiences the country's gravest outbreak since the pandemic's onset. Footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed Mr Xi remove his facial covering when addressing crowds at a distance.
China has pledged to host a "simple, safe and splendid" Winter games, in contrast to the spectacle of Beijing's Summer Olympics in 2008. The attempt to lower expectations is largely due to China's inability to eliminate Covid-19 from its borders, despite strict quarantine rules for inbound travellers, and a policy of mass tracing, testing and lockdowns to stem flareups.
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/chinas-president-xi-visits-winter-olympics-venues-as-challenges-mount
= new reply since forum marked as read
