Winter Games showed amity and sincerity of Chinese people: China Daily editorial

As the first major global sports event held as scheduled since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games carried multiple meanings for China and the rest of the world.

The success of the Winter Games wouldn't have been possible without the painstaking and dedicated efforts of tens of thousands of people. That was acknowledged, once again, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing where President Xi Jinping and other State leaders gathered on Friday to honor those who made outstanding contributions to the sports event, thus taking forward the cause of sports, and peace and amity.

Chinese athletes made many breakthroughs at the Winter Games, achieving the best results in history. The fact that an estimated 300 million Chinese people have taken up winter sports can be attributed to the influence of Chinese sportspersons who gave wonderful performances and showed a high level of sportsmanship at the event.

The efficient organization of the event, the effective closed-loop virus control measures, the state-of-the-art infrastructure, the cutting-edge technologies, the hospitality of the volunteers, service staff and spectators, the delicious food served in the Olympic Village, and the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies gave the participating teams a first-hand experience of an open, friendly, confident and rising China, and its willingness to continue contributing to the global common good.

China not only fulfilled its promise of hosting a "simple, safe and splendid" Winter Games, but also did it well, setting an example for the world, and exposing those Western politicians who tried to disrupt the event as part of their desperate efforts to smear China.

The success of the event was also evident in the encouraging and heartwarming comments made by the International Olympic Committee, as well as officials, athletes and reporters from different countries that participated in the event.

Held against the background of a volatile world which has suffered much because of the selfishness and shortsightedness of some politicians, the Winter Games helped peoples from different countries and cultures to come together, driven by the Olympic motto of "Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together", to exhibit the uniting power of sports.

As President Xi said, the success of the Winter Games has promoted exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations and played an important role in promoting global solidarity and cooperation, which are essential to overcome difficulties. More important, it has sent the message of "together for a shared future" to the international community.

The Winter Games' success should not only prompt the world to see China's development in a more objective way, but also boost people's confidence in the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the institutional strengths of the country and the advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics.