Practice the purpose of the Olympic Movement

From Chamonix in France in 1924 to Beijing, China in 2022, the Winter Olympics have gone through 98 years, carrying mankind's beautiful pursuit of peace, unity and progress. When setting up a banquet to welcome international dignitaries attending the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, President Xi Jinping pointed out that we should bear in mind the original intention of the Olympic Movement and jointly safeguard world peace. We should carry forward the spirit of the Olympic Movement and unite to meet the common challenges of the international community. We should practice the purpose of the Olympic Movement and continue to promote the cause of human progress. As the first global comprehensive sports event held as scheduled since the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the Beijing Winter Olympics will bear in mind the original intention of the Olympic Movement, carry forward the spirit of the Olympic Movement, practice the purpose of the Olympic Movement, uphold the concept of green, shared, open and clean Olympic Games, conscientiously fulfill its solemn commitments to the international community, ensure the smooth holding of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games as scheduled, continuously promote the Winter Olympics, let ice and snow sports enter the homes of ordinary people, and make new contributions to the global Olympic cause.

Keeping in mind the original intention of the Olympic Movement, we will jointly safeguard world peace. The Olympic Movement was born for peace and thrived on peace. "Summon young people from all over the world to compete on the playing field, not fight on the battlefield." This is the good wish of Coubertin, the "father of the Olympics". In December 2021, the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the Resolution on the Olympic Truce of the Beijing Winter Olympics, jointly proposed by 173 Member States, calling for peace through sport, representing the common voice of the international community. The Olympic Charter adheres to the principle of "political neutrality in sports", the Olympic Games is the home of athletes, a grand event for all mankind, and people of different countries, different races and different religions compete on the same stage and improve together. Today, China is determined to work with the people of the world to keep firmly in mind the original intention of the Olympic Movement, adhere to mutual respect, treat each other as equals, hold dialogue and consultation, strive to resolve differences, eliminate conflicts, replace confrontation with cooperation, and jointly build a world of lasting peace.

Carry forward the spirit of the Olympic Movement and unite to meet the common challenges of the international community. The COVID-19 pandemic is still raging, and global problems such as climate change and terrorism are emerging. The fate of mankind is shared, and the international community should be "more united". In July 2021, the IOC officially introduced the new Olympic motto "Faster, Higher, Stronger – More United". In September, the theme slogan of the Beijing Winter Olympics, "Together to the Future", was officially released, which is a vivid interpretation of the motto of "more unity". As IOC President Bach said in his opening remarks, "This is the mission of the Olympic Games, to unite people in peaceful competition." The Olympic Games always build bridges of communication, never walls." The holding of the Olympic Games will use the power of sports culture of equal participation and fair competition to help society be healthier and more inclusive, promote better global governance, and promote the green recovery of the world economy. Today, China is determined to work with the people of the world to carry forward the spirit of the Olympic Movement, practice genuine multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, safeguard the international order based on international law, and jointly build a harmonious and cooperative international family.

Practice the purpose of the Olympic Movement and continue to promote the cause of human progress. The goal of the Olympic Movement is the realization of the full development of the human person. At the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, 44 children from the "Ma Lan Hua Children's Choir" in the mountainous area of Fuping County, Hebei Province, China, sang the Olympic games in Greek for the audience. These purest voices from the depths of the Taihang Mountains are a microcosm of China's major historic achievements in poverty alleviation and its significant contributions to global poverty reduction. Shortly after the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, in December 2012, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech in Fuping County during listening to local work reports, visiting difficult peasant households, and having long talks with cadres and the masses, and issued a mobilization order to the whole party and the whole country to get rid of poverty. In February 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping solemnly announced at the National Poverty Alleviation Summary and Commendation Conference that at the important moment of ushering in the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the mainland has achieved a comprehensive victory in the battle against poverty. China has fulfilled the arduous task of eradicating absolute poverty, achieved the poverty reduction goal of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule, actively carried out international cooperation in poverty reduction, fulfilled its international responsibility for poverty reduction, provided assistance to developing countries to the best of its ability, contributed China's strength to promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, and won wide praise from the international community. Today, China is determined to work with the people of the world to conform to the trend of the times, adhere to the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom for all mankind, promote exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations, jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind, and jointly enhance the well-being of all mankind.