Xi meets IOC chief and its honorary president

President Xi Jinping expressed on Sunday China's readiness to provide more wisdom and strength to global sports governance and make greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry and Honorary President for Life of the IOC Thomas Bach in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, ahead of the opening ceremony of China's 15th National Games.

Xi said that the Olympic spirit, which represents an important part of human civilization and embodies people's shared aspiration for a better world, aligns closely with China's vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity.

China has always firmly practiced, safeguarded and promoted the Olympic spirit, he said, noting that in recent years, China and the IOC have supported each other in advancing sports development and have jointly accomplished many remarkable undertakings.

Recalling the 9th Asian Winter Games held earlier this year in the icy and snowy city of Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, Xi said the meeting in the spring-like city of Guangzhou reflects the close and friendly ties between China and the IOC.

China stands ready to deepen high-level cooperation with the IOC and advance the nation's goal of becoming a leading country in sports as well as in the global Olympic movement.

As the highest-level and largest comprehensive sports event in China, the 15th National Games mark the first time the National Games are being jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

Xi said the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which comprises nine cities in Guangdong's Pearl River Delta region as well as the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, is one of the most open and economically vibrant regions in China.

Promoting its development aims to turn the area into a strategic underpinning for China's new development paradigm, a demonstration area for high-quality development, and a pacesetter of Chinese modernization, he noted.

It is believed that the 15th National Games will not only showcase new achievements in China's sports development in the new era, but also present the vibrant vitality of Chinese modernization in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Xi said.

The IOC guests said they were deeply impressed by the vitality and remarkable progress of China's modernization, as seen in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

They highly commended China's active efforts in promoting the Olympic spirit and its significant contributions to the global Olympic movement.

The IOC appreciates China's long-standing support and looks forward to further deepening cooperation with the country to advance the Olympic cause worldwide, foster unity among people of different countries, and promote world peace, they said.