Mr. President,

I am very honored to introduce, on behalf of China, the draft resolution “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal” (A/76/L.13).

The time-honored Olympic Truce carries with it humanity’s aspiration for peace and mutual support. The peaceful ideal of the Olympics is in line with the founding mission of the UN, that is to safeguard international peace and security. Since 1993, the GA has adopted by consensus the Olympic Truce resolutions for 13 times in a row, calling on member states to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation through sport, and cease hostilities from seven days before until seven days after the Olympic Games. As the host country of the XXIV Olympic Winter Games, China follows the tradition to propose the draft resolution on Olympic Truce.

Building on previous resolutions, this draft resolution adds the Beijing 2022 visions and ideals for the Games, and sends a powerful message of unity and cooperation in overcoming the pandemic. The draft resolution recalls the important role of sports in promoting peace and sustainable development, notes that the vision of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 “Joyful rendezvous upon pure ice and snow uniting the passion of hundreds of millions for winter sports” is to inspire youth with the Olympic spirit, encourage millions to embrace winter sports, promote social progress, and create a harmonious, peaceful and better world, and recognizes that Beijing 2022 aims to ensure the delivery of Olympic Games that are green, inclusive, open and clean. Responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, the draft resolution focuses on the Olympic Truce spirit, and recognizes the role of sport as a tool in building global resilience to address the COVID-19 impacts, and that the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 will be an opportunity to show the value of unity, resilience and international cooperation. It expresses the expectation that the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 will be a meaningful opportunity to harness the power of sport to advance the world by fostering an atmosphere of peace, development, resilience, tolerance and understanding

We have seen active participation by and many constructive suggestions from fellow missions during the consultation. The draft resolution now has 173 co-sponsors. On behalf of the Chinese Government, I wish to thank you all for your interests in and support for this draft resolution. I hope the GA will adopt this resolution by consensus. Taking this opportunity, I also wish to pay my tribute to IOC President Mr. Thomas Bach, the International Olympic Truce Foundation and the International Olympic Truce Centre. Thank you for your strong support for the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Mr. President,

Today is the second time for the Chinese representative to introduce the truce resolution at the GA since 2007. China has always been committed to peace, to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and to true multilateralism. We have participated in-depth and supported the cause of the UN and contributed to world peace and development. China is committed to the Olympic ideal and the spirit of Olympic Truce. We have actively participated in the previous Summer and Winter Olympics and supported the previous Olympic Truce resolutions. We have successfully held the Youth Olympic Games and other major international sports events, lending China’s strength to promote world peace, common development and friendship through sports.

The realization of Olympic Truce calls for political will, but more importantly, concrete actions. Under the theme of “to create a harmonious world of better mutual understanding”, the truce work for the Beijing Winter Olympics involves promoting the Olympic Truce concept and Olympic knowledge throughout the society, and releasing introductory materials such as public reading books and online videos. We put great emphasis on the youth, and are working to sow the seeds of peace and friendship in the hearts of the younger generations by providing Olympic education in primary and secondary schools nationwide. During the Olympic Games, the truce mural entitled "Light of Peace" will be set up in the Beijing Winter Olympic Village to show support for the concept of peace and truce.

This July, the century-old Olympic motto was updated for the first time in history, adding the word “Together”. The new motto, in combining sportsmanship with the spirit of humanity, shows countries’ strong stance to join hands in tackling global challenges, and more importantly, the aspiration of people all over the world to together build a community with a shared future for mankind.

The Olympic Games is a platform for athletes to shine, an event for all people of different countries, different races, different religions to compete with together and to help each other become "faster, higher, stronger, together". The Olympic Charter affirmed the principle of political neutrality of sports. We will join hands with people around the world to reject all wrongful words and actions that are contrary to the Olympic spirit and detrimental to the development of the Olympic movement. We call on all countries to take the Beijing Winter Olympics as an opportunity to resolve differences with dialogue, replace confrontation with cooperation, enhance mutual understanding and maintain world peace and development.

Mr. President,

In 64 days, the Olympic flame will be once again ignited in the National Stadium. Beijing will become the world’s first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics. The Chinese Government attaches great importance to the preparation of the Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Thanks to the strong support from the IOC and other countries, we have made smooth progress in this regard. We are confident in bringing the world a simple, safe and splendid Olympics.

We follow a safety-first approach to hosting the Olympics. Facing the threat posed by the pandemic, the Chinese Government has put the people front and center. Bearing in mind the lives and health of the local Chinese people and all athletes and participants, we make every effort to ensure their safety, put epidemic prevention and control in the first place, and  formulate science-based and targeted epidemic prevention policies. China and the IOC have issued the first edition of the epidemic prevention manual and will take necessary measures such as remote prevention and control, closed-loop management and vaccination to ensure the safety of all parties. At the same time, we will do our best to provide considerate services to create a good event experience for all participants.

We follow a green approach to hosting the Olympics. Committed to achieving carbon neutrality, the Beijing Winter Olympics will set many records: It will be the first to comprehensively advance the IOC sustainability policy in the social, economic and environmental spheres; It will be the first in Olympic history where all venues will be powered by green energy; It will be the first in Olympic history where CO2 refrigeration technology will be used in large scale, resulting in near-zero carbon emissions. 85% of the vehicles used will be powered by clean energy.

We follow an inclusive approach to hosting the Olympics. Except for the National Speed Skating Oval (Ice Ribbon), all ice sport events will take place in renovated venues built for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. In this way, all these venues can be used for both summer and winter sports in the future. After the relocation of Beijing Shougang, the company’s former complex was renovated into a big ski jump platform for the Winter Olympics. We have already made post-Olympic plans for the venues, so that they can benefit local people and the Olympic movement in the long run. The vision of Beijing Winter Olympics “encourage three hundred millions of Chinese to engage in ice and snow sports” is gradually turning into reality.

We follow an open approach to hosting the Olympics. During the preparation, China has maintained close communication with other countries and international organizations on venue construction, event organization, among others. From October to December this year, China will host ten international test matches and three international training weeks in Beijing, where we expect the participation of 2,000 overseas athletes and staff and test our preparedness for the Beijing Winter Olympics.

We follow a clean approach to hosting the Olympics. Since bidding for the Games, the Chinese Government has kept strict budget management to control the cost, and cracked down on corruption by strengthening supervision during the whole process. In addition, we adopt zero-tolerance towards doping and acts in violation of sportsmanship, all in an effort to make the incoming Olympics in Beijing as clean and pure as ice and snow.

Mr. President,

“Together for a Shared Future”. This is the motto of the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. It is also China’s action plan to practice the new Olympic motto. Together, let’s look forward to the rekindling of the Olympic flame and the highlights of our athletes. Let’s join hands to uphold the Olympic spirit, to ignite the flame of hope for humanity, and to embrace a brighter future.

February 2022, the Beijing Winter Olympics welcome you all! 

Thank you, Mr. President.