We are very keenly observing that the US government considers China as its archrival on geopolitical, economic, and strategic grounds and in its pursuit, it tries to frustrate success achievable to the country-- China, which is dazzling with its crowning glory. With its persistently scathing vehemence, the USA is found to have politicised one of the foremost international sports events -- the Winter Olympics. In a fit of grudge against China for its continued success in all spheres of activities, the USA was trying to stain the Winter Olympics held in Beijing. Such assiduous efforts, though inefficacious, seem to have become tenacious.
From the preparatory stage up till its opening, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics had to have some countries in the West being ill-disposed to China, which include calls for a 'diplomatic boycott', hype over food safety and network security with respect to the Winter Olympics, and incitement for an 'athlete-boycott.'
A handful of imperialist countries led by the United States, in their futile attempts, coordinated the so-called 'diplomatic boycott' based on apocryphal and debunked fabrications about the treatment of Xinjiang's Uyghur population. At the backdrop of their mind it was maintained that China and the Chinese people do not care too much about the negative sentiments and attitudes of the US-led Western countries towards China.
Perceiving their envious and gloomy outlook, China, in a befitting manner, withstands their malicious and groundless accusations against the country. On the contrary, China focuses on developing its own strengths. Despite the factious and malefic propaganda of the West, the Winter Olympic 2022 was held as scheduled and ended with success under global attention. It was an event that showed the world not only the latest achievements of China's development and governance, but also the common resilience and unity of a community that shares future for mankind under prevailing threats and challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics began with a fascinating, vibrant, and glittering opening ceremony that presented the world a China that was becoming more confident. Fourteen years after having hosted the 2008 Games, the country has marched into a new era.
The opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games was a success despite the so-called diplomatic boycott led by the USA. Such a huge gathering of global leaders, ignoring duress and wild surge of Omicron infections, is an outcome of the calculative and mature diplomacy of China. The Chinese policy of putting humanity first and extending its helping hands towards the world during the struggling time of the pandemic has paid back well, and world leaders have finally rallied behind President Xi Jinping against odds and difficulties.
Finally, all maneuvers that were intended to embarrass China turned out to be embarrassing for the instigators as the Chinese nation calmly continues to march forward.
Given China's strong organisational capabilities, we are impressed that China has presented the world with a healthy, safe, and exciting Winter Olympic Games from the beginning to the end. The Beijing Winter Olympics also showcased China's spectacular COVID suppression strategy through the closed-loop system which ensured that the participants were completely safe and not at risk of being infected. This demonstrates as well the extraordinary success of China's dynamic Zero-COVID strategy.
With more than 30 heads of states and governments gathered in Beijing to attend the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, in spite of ongoing pandemic which is still raging in most parts of the world, the Games proved to be a symbol of a deepening multi-polarity and global solidarity. Standing in solidarity with China, Africa has not wavered in expressing its support for a country that stood shoulder to shoulder with a continent, and until recently which struggled to make significant strides towards achieving sustainable development.
One of the outstanding features of the Beijing Winter Olympics is that it has been able to leave its mark as the greenest Olympics in history. It has also created the first-ever instance that all the sporting venues were powered exclusively by renewable energy. Five out of the seven venues were legacy venues that were built for the 2008 Olympics. It is worth mentioning that the vehicles transporting the participants, staff, officials and spectators were powered either by electricity or hydrogen.
Furthermore, Beijing has expanded its forestation programme; the city's tree coverage is now 44 per cent, double that of London or New York City. These green Games serve as a reminder that China has become a global leader in the struggle against climate breakdown. Xi Jinping's framework of an ecological civilisation along with China's unprecedentedly ambitious goals to reach peak carbon emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060 show that China will be a highly responsible and reliable partner in humanity's shared effort to preserve and protect the environment.
China has presented the best-ever Winter Olympic Games to the world. The consequence being that the Western world, especially the US, finds nowhere to place their sense of loss and depression, except for monologue time and again on its outdated anti-China clichés. At one moment, certain US media outlets are slandering not only China, but also the global leaders who have attended the opening ceremony.
Far from being a diplomatic flop that the USA and its friends were hoping for, the Winter Olympics turned into a milestone on the road to a multi-polar future and proves that the peoples of the world greatly value their friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation with China.
Ambassador of China to Bangladesh H.E. Mr. Li Jiming correctly forecast in his writing which was published in the Dhaka Tribune on February 01, 2022 stating that "The Olympic flame will be dancing to the drumbeat of the upcoming Chinese year of the tiger in a few days. We hope that all Olympians will excess themselves in the competition like soaring dragons and leaping tigers in Beijing, and the international Olympic cause will more forward by leaps and bounds and contribute vitality to realizing world peace and development."
Dilip Barua is general secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (M-L) and chairman of Bangladesh China Silk Road Forum