Beijing 2022 opening ceremony Photo:Li Hao/GT

The world's attention shifts to Beijing as the capital of the People's Republic of China hosts the 2022 Winter Olympics. 
 
It is a golden honor for Beijing, as it is the first city to have ever hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics, a major international multi-sport event.

The world must salute China for its courage in successfully preparing and hosting these games, which bring together around 3,000 athletes from over 90 nations.
 
As it faced overwhelming criticism and diplomatic boycotts, and the fear of a further spread of the COVID-19 virus as propagated by the Western media, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Winter Games said this week that everything was in place for a successful Games.

The Committee further confirmed to the world that China has delivered a "simple, safe and splendid" edition of the Games, noting that COVID-19 protocols were working effectively within the closed-loop.

Accused of being one of the world's top polluters, China is using the occasion to shrug off its critics, demonstrating its commitment to fighting climate change. Among the bold measures being taken is the powering of all Olympic Village venues with carbon-free electricity. This involves thousands of solar panels and wind turbines, hundreds of kilometers of high-voltage power lines and the world's biggest battery. 

A signature feature of China's long-term commitment to tackling climate change is a new eco-friendly technology known as the ice venue cooling system that uses natural carbon dioxide refrigeration. It makes its debut at the 2022 Games. This ground-breaking technology replaces hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which have traditionally been used to cool ice rinks but are deemed to have a larger contribution to global warming.

The tenacity with which China has managed to present this international sporting event signifies a new and sparkling beginning to the world, after an almost three-year confrontation with the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though no one knows when this pandemic will peter out, the 2022 Winter Olympics opens a ray of hope to enterprises — most of which went bust while others trimmed their operations to cope with the pressure. 
 
In reality, the social and economic challenges posed by the pandemic have brought to the fore the true value of forecasting risks and employing the best strategies to mitigate them. This calls for a wholesome strategy, perhaps bringing countries together at one table, to engage and have a sustainable response that ushers in fast but long-term plans for the global economic rebound. 
 
The 2022 Winter Olympics, despite being diplomatically boycotted by the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada, offers a first-class platform for global figures to engage on the sidelines over the recovery of the global economy, and perhaps determine how best to sustainably tackle unforeseen risks.  

As a matter of fact, sports should be free of politics, as a Kremlin spokesman noted in a media brief recently. Instead, they should be a formidable force that contributes not only to national but international wellbeing. Rather than furthering jingoism and nationalism, international sporting competitions like the Olympics and the World Cup, which bring together dignitaries, athletes, heads of state, and other national representatives, are supposed to be forums of foreign policy, cooperation, international understanding,  and offer a unique arena through which diplomatic relations are advanced. 

It is regrettable that the Games have been highly politicized. Certainly the reason behind this is that China is the host nation. It's primitive, to say the least, that even sponsors, the IOC and athletes have been urged to take a stand on certain issues. Sports should widen our horizons, foster inclusion, and make us celebrate our diversity.  

Censoring sportsmen is toxic as they are looked upon by society as heroes and role models. Rather than attempting to extricate itself from politics, sport should adopt a laissez-faire posture: Let everyone - owners, players, and fans - make statements, be they social, economic or political, at sports matches. In so doing, sports can set the tone for the rest of society and, indeed, the world. 

It is time for the Western media to engage in professional journalism that is anchored in truth and accuracy. Gone are the days when the public would consume information without questioning its authenticity. Today's public is so informed that it can tell the truth from manufactured content that is aimed at pushing a specific line of narrative to shape public discourse. 

By successfully hosting these competitions, China has shown the world that it is equal to the task, even when maliciously attacked by the West. This is an event that shows the world has changed and that the United States no longer has the final say. There are new developments and players in the world who are challenging the status quo. 

We celebrate China. May we enjoy the 2022 Winter Olympics!

The author is a researcher and expert on China-Africa cooperation based in Nairobi, Kenya. Follow him on Twitter @kapchanga. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn