Cheng Hong is a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), vice-chairperson of the CPPCC National Committee's Committee on Education, Science, Health and Sports, vice-chairperson of the Central Committee of China Democratic League and vice-chairperson of the CPPCC Beijing Municipal Committee. [Photo/cppcc.gov.cn]

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, elaborated the spirit of bearing in mind the big picture, being confident and open, rising to the challenges, pursuing excellence, and creating a better future together at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics review and awards ceremony on April 8, making every participant of the Beijing 2022 feel deeply inspired and galvanized. As head of Yanqing Winter Olympic Village and deputy leader of the support team of the Winter Olympic villages, I was deeply impressed by the spirit of the Beijing Olympic Winter Games and China's international influence in the new era.

1. Bearing in mind the big picture

The Olympic Village is a base camp for delegations of countries and regions during the Games, and also a "rear area" for athletes to rest and prepare for the games. Bearing in mind the expectation of building a safe and comfortable "home for athletes", we provided them with comprehensive services ranging from food, accommodation and transportation, to medical treatment, healthcare and entertainment. The "home during the games" and the restaurants ran 24/7.

Facilities empowered by high technologies, such as the zero-gravity beds and logistics robots, were well received by athletes. In addition, snow and ice were cleared from roads in a timely manner to ensure smooth traffic around the clock in the village.

The efficient, high-quality and considerate services have won high appreciation and sincere feedback from athletes around the world.

Behind these efforts was the dedication of the Winter Olympic Village team, including the volunteers. We regarded the Games as one of the country's most fundamental interests and saw it as an honor to make contributions to the country.

We shouldered responsibilities and worked hard to make the athletes feel hospitality of China and the confident and sunny spirit of the Chinese people in the new era.

2. Being confident and open

The Olympic Games is the most influential international sports event and a window of publicity. Firmly adhering to China's path of human rights development was stressed at the 37th group study session of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Feb 25. Two weeks later, we collaborated with the All-China Women's Federation to showcase China's achievements in human rights by playing the documentary Women and Poverty Alleviation in the Olympic Village on International Women's Day.

Traditional cultural activities such as writing Spring Festival couplets, making paper-cuts for window decoration, guessing lantern riddles, performing dragon and lion dances, experiencing traditional Chinese medicine and weaving Chinese knots were also held in the Village, which fully embodied the cultural confidence and attracted athletes to become involved in and experience the profound and charming Chinese culture.

The Beijing Winter Olympic Games was the first global comprehensive sports event held as scheduled against the backdrop of COVID-19 prevention and control. We carried out nucleic acid testing, quarantine and transfer of suspected cases and environmental disinfection on a daily basis, and created the "two days, two categories, three tables and one channel" routine. We also added more commuting buses for close contacts and deployed rapid test stations that can issue results in three hours. We worked day and night following the targeted epidemic-control principle, and achieved zero infections and accidents among 3,600 working staff.

During the Games, no cluster of infections or spillover cases occurred. China's pandemic response policy has once again withstood the test, contributing useful experience for the world to fight against the pandemic and to host major international events as well as bringing confidence and hope to a world beset by the pandemic.

3. Rising to the challenges

The Yanqing competition zone in Beijing was originally an area with no water, no electricity, no roads and no electronic signals. Within just four years, the area was equipped with all the facilities and world-class venues powered by green electricity, which was a vivid demonstration of the Winter Olympic Games fueled by science and technology. They fully embodied the institutional strengths of socialism that can pool all resources to accomplish major tasks.

In addition to emergency response, the 63-day high-intensity work schedule and closed-loop management were also challenges to the support teams.

The region-specific management of COVID-19 response requires extra efforts. A total of 43,000 pieces of cloth material had to be hand-carried and put in place in advance. Disinfection teams worked with spray devices weighing more than 10 kilograms on their backs, sweating profusely in cold weather. Even three days of heavy snowfalls and howling winds couldn't stop our day-to-night work. "We are willing to work tirelessly to make our contributions to the Winter Olympic Games," everyone said.

4. Pursuing excellence

China has fulfilled its commitment and the city of Beijing, host city of both the 2008 Olympic Summer Games and the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, showcased its charm to the world. We did our best to provide the highest standard services. The elaborately-designed “Ice Great Wall”, which frequently appeared in Chinese and foreign media, was not only beautiful but also served as a reminder of epidemic prevention. The flag square reconstructed from two parking lots created a new mode that combined both flag displaying and traffic functions.  

5. Creating a better future together

The Olympic Games is not only a sports gala but also a diplomatic platform for strengthening cooperation and promoting consensus. During the Games, we built consensus and friendship, and turned the small Winter Olympic Village into a big stage for international exchanges by organizing a series of activities We carefully arranged every meeting in order to enhance the recognition of the idea of "a community with a shared future for mankind", the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic motto "Together for a Shared Future" and the new Olympic motto "Faster, Higher, Stronger — Together". We proactively communicated with Olympic Committee officials from some countries and regions to enhance consensus, and fulfilled the shared value of "Together for a Shared Future", which displayed trustworthy, lovable and respectable image of the Chinese people in the new era.

The most fundamental reason behind the brilliant achievements of the successful Winter Olympic Games is the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. From "the three questions concerning Olympic Games" a hundred years ago, and the "spectacular" Beijing 2008 Olympic Summer Games, to the "truly exceptional" Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, the progress we have made epitomizes the great changes in China over the century. At the historic crossroad of "the Two Centenary Goals", the successful hosting of the Olympic Winter Games vividly displayed the historic achievements and changes in the cause of the Party and country in the new era and showed the irreversible historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

(The author is a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), vice-chairperson of the CPPCC National Committee's Committee on Education, Science, Health and Sports, vice-chairperson of the Central Committee of China Democratic League and vice-chairperson of the CPPCC Beijing Municipal Committee. The article is translated from Chinese to English by en.cppcc.gov.cn.)