Photo taken on March 4, 2020 shows a rendering of the National Sliding Center for 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Photo: Xinhua

A high-level conference on Thursday assessing the lead up to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games discussed some of the challenges and future visions of this global sporting event, with officials vowing a green and cooperative games that will promote the development of winter sports in China.

The conference themed "New Development Patterns and Beijing Winter Olympic Games" was held by the Beijing Winter Olympic Games Organizing Committee, People's Daily, People's Forum magazine and National Governance Weekly at the People's Daily's headquarters. The Beiao Group sponsored the event. More than 200 representatives from government departments, research institutions, the culture and sports industries, and media think tanks attended the conference.

Participants proposed China should seize the historical opportunity presented by the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, promote the high-quality development of the culture and sports industry, and made suggestions for exploring and building a new development pattern. 

Numerous speakers noted that the Beijing Winter Olympic Games is a major landmark event held at an important node at the intersection of China's "two centuries" history, which is of great significance for displaying China's national image, promoting national development and invigorating national spirit. 

They also said that planning for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games in the coming year faces a number of negative international challenges. 

"The COVID-19 pandemic continues due to the inaction and irresponsibility of a few countries that have made pandemic prevention and control difficult. As a whole, this is an urgent threat to non-traditional security. Non-traditional security will also have some negative effects on future preparations for the Winter Olympic Games, and this needs to be taken very seriously," Wang Fan, Vice President of China Institute of International Relations said. 

Sun Ming, Vice President of the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies pointed out the Winter Olympic Games will highlight the importance of cooperation between countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In view of the Olympic spirit, participation and mutual learning need to be highlighted, said Sun. The Olympic Games are a great source of inspiration and lessons for competitive relations between nations, he said. 

In the face of international competition, it is important to uphold the same Olympic principles and promote peaceful cooperation between China and other countries with the goal of unity, peace and progress and at present, the space and demand for cooperation between China and the world is very large, and "we need to show the world that China cannot develop without the world and that the world needs China for prosperity," said Sun. 

The Beijing Winter Olympic Games embodies China's commitment to green development, noted participants. 

"I believe that the idea of a green sporting event is of even greater importance at a time when climate change, environmental issues, and other factors affect our daily life," Xu Qinhua, Deputy Dean of the National Institute of Development and Strategy, Renmin University said at the forum. 

The global health crisis of COVID-19 is a reminder that living harmoniously with nature is the basis for every socioeconomic advancement around the world, said Xu. 

The Beijing Winter Olympic Games, Xu said, supports this commitment, and the event should be used as a major platform to promote green sporting events, and a community with a shared future for all people.

She proposed that the Beijing Winter Olympic Games should be the benchmark for the commitment to carbon neutrality, a model for ecological civilization, and lead to the transformation to green sporting events. 

The construction of Chongli Branch of the Beijing-Zhangzhi Railway, being built in advance of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games is based on the green development concept, and  has achieved zero emissions, Deng Yong, Chairman of China Railway Twentieth Bureau Group said.