Dear Readers,
Here, I wish all of us the excitement and success of the Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2022. Although affected by the current epidemic and some restrictions, it is hoped that all athletes will be able to fully play their competitive level in various sports.
Ambassador of Austria to China Liken
In the overall medal table in the history of the Winter Olympics, Austria ranks fourth with a total of 232 medals. The Alps stretch from west to east, making Austria a fertile ground for winter sports. In 1964 and 1976, Innsbruck, Austria, hosted the Winter Olympics twice, and the first Winter Olympics were held in 2012.
"Only a handful of countries have won more medals at the Winter Olympics than the Summer Olympics, and Austria is one of them. That's why many Austrians are looking forward to the Beijing Winter Olympics. Austrian Ambassador to China Liken said in an exclusive interview with a client reporter of Beijing Daily recently that Austria will send a delegation of about 110 athletes to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics.
"The Winter Olympics will be very important for the Austrians. Athletes will have the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and training results. Beijing will also prove to the world that even under the influence of the epidemic, the Winter Olympics can be successfully held. The ambassador to China said.
"We are a small country but we have the Alps"
Liken arrived in China on August 1 this year. To free up more office space in the embassy, the ambassador and his wife and two daughters moved into an apartment outside the traditional ambassador's residence a few weeks ago. "Our family has fully adapted to life here." Liken said.
Soon after taking office, Liken participated in a winter tourism promotion event organized by the Austrian National Tourism Board and the Austrian state of Tyrol at the Shougang Park in Beijing. Innsbruck is the capital of the state of Tyrol.
"Austria is truly world-renowned for its winter sports. We are a small country, but we have the Alps and are blessed with the conditions for winter sports. Liken said that because Austria's performance at the Winter Olympics is usually better than the Summer Olympics, many Austrians are looking forward to the Beijing Winter Olympics.
The COVID-19 pandemic has left the Beijing Winter Olympics facing a different situation than in the past. Liken said the Austrian Embassy had received a plan from the organizers on how to prevent and control the epidemic at the Beijing Winter Olympics. The plan is very rich and detailed, introducing the organizers' plans for epidemic prevention and control and a series of specific measures. He appreciates the efforts of the organizers.
"Now, winter athletes around the world are preparing for the Winter Olympics. The Beijing Winter Olympics should be a stage to showcase their talents and abilities. I look forward to the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics and to being able to watch the athletes compete. Liken said.
During the Winter Olympics, you can watch the live broadcast at the embassy
At the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, Austria sent 105 athletes to compete. Liken revealed that at the Beijing Winter Olympics, Austria will send about 110 athletes to compete. This will be the fourth time Austria has sent more than a hundred athletes to the Winter Olympics. "Three of the athletes who came to Beijing to compete have won gold medals at the Winter Olympics."
Austria ranks fourth in the all-time medal table of the Winter Olympics with a total of 232 medals, behind the United States, Norway and Germany. Looking forward to the performance of Austrian athletes in Beijing, Liken said that we hope that Austria will be in the top ten of the medal table. "Although I am not an expert on the Winter Olympics, I think it should be possible for Austria to win 13 to 20 Winter Olympic medals in Beijing."
Liken told reporters that during the Winter Olympics, the Austrian Embassy in China will try to organize activities and invite everyone to come to the Embassy to watch the live broadcast of the Winter Olympic Games, in this way to cheer for Austrian athletes.
About half of Austria's overnight visitors come for winter tourism
"The population of Austria is less than 9 million. Before the pandemic, Austria had more than 150 million overnight visitors a year, about half of which, or more than 70 million, were created by winter tourists who came to Austria for winter tourism. Liken said.
In the stretch of the Alps in western and southern Austria, there are many well-equipped and historic ski resorts. How much do Austrians love skiing? According to Ricken, about half of Austrians regularly participate in winter sports, and in addition to having fun in the ski slopes, they are also interested in winter hiking and cross-country skiing.
The strong foundation of winter sports also contributed greatly to the Austrian economy and improved the well-being of the people. "Austria is one of the most attractive winter sports destinations in the world. When you come to Austria, the ski slopes are enough to surprise you, because some areas of the slopes are connected for as long as two or three hundred kilometers. Liken said.
China has set a goal of "300 million people participating in ice and snow sports", and is vigorously developing ice and snow sports and making huge investments in preparation for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, which also gives some Austrian companies in related fields the opportunity to expand their business in China. Chinese is becoming more interested in winter sports, which is a very good development opportunity for Austrian companies, Liken said.
How can China further improve the competitive level of winter sports and expand the mass base of winter sports? About half of Austrians ski regularly, But in China, about 1 percent of people who ski a year, According to Liken, about 1 percent of people currently ski during the year. "Of course I don't expect 50% of Chinese to go skiing regularly, but even if 10% of Chinese enjoy winter sports, that would be a very substantial number. Therefore, Winter Sports in China has good potential for development. ”
Serving as Ambassador to China has fulfilled my wish
As a senior diplomat, Licken has served in European countries and North America. His role as ambassador to China was also the first time in his diplomatic career that he worked in Asia. But in fact, Liken was associated with China very early. He told reporters that in 1986 and 1987, when he was a student, he traveled to China twice. As a backpacker, he spent eight weeks and three weeks in China.
"My interest in China began at that time, and of course I didn't know that I would work in the Austrian Foreign Office and become ambassador to China. Decades have passed, and the country has changed a lot. So for me personally, it's a pleasure to be here again and work here, and it's a wish I've fulfilled. Liken said.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Austria. Liken said that Austria and China have established friendly relations in many fields, and he is working hard to deepen and broaden the friendly exchanges between Austria and China.
Liken also mentioned that the epidemic has brought considerable difficulties to state-to-state exchanges. "In the past, people always had the opportunity to communicate face-to-face like we did, and Austrian politicians, business people, scientists, artists, musicians were very interested in this, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra often came to Beijing to perform. I hope that people will effectively fight the epidemic on a global scale as soon as possible, and countries around the world can resume normal exchanges, and video conferencing and face-to-face exchanges are not the same after all. ”