Yuzuru Hanyu (left) and Jin Boyang Photo: A screenshot from Twitter

As China's elite male figure skater Jin Boyang and the world-famous Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu made headlines when they tried to form a heart in front of the cameras after the men's single figure skating at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Game on February 10, the Chinese Embassy in Japan posted a short video of their friendly interaction on Twitter, which soon received more than 17,000 likes and nearly 3,000 reposts.

In an exclusive interview, the Chinese Embassy in Japan told the Global Times on Monday that the friendly interaction between Jin and Hanyu sparked heated discussion in China and Japan, which fully highlighted the great attention of the two peoples toward the Beijing Olympics and the common love for ice and snow sports.

The two outstanding figure skaters wrote a touching story of China-Japan friendship in the Winter Olympics, and their friendship is commendable, said the Embassy.

As Jin and Hanyu finished ninth and fourth, respectively, in the men's single figure skating last Thursday, multiple topics about the two athletes have trended on social media.  

Their friendly interaction in the rest area after the match was a juicy tidbit, making "a friendship called Yuzuru Hanyu and Jin Boyang" a hot topic on Sina Weibo. 

"They're so cute! Sport knows no borders!" read a typical comment by a netizen.

The official Twitter account of the Chinese Embassy in Japan reposted the short video of their friendly interaction on the same day, with a caption saying, "Contestant Jin Boyang, contestant Yuzuru Hanyu, thank you for your wonderful performances."  

The post received many comments by Chinese and Japanese netizens including "The Olympics is an occasion for friendly exchanges." Some Japanese media also reported on it.  

The Embassy told the Global Times on Monday that the two outstanding figure skaters had the courage to surpass themselves and challenge the limits of competition. They encouraged each other and learned from each other outside the competition to make progress and grow together, which was an interpretation of the Olympic spirit of Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together, and they wrote a touching story of China-Japan friendship at the Winter Olympics. 

Their friendship is admirable, noted the Embassy.

"As the Beijing Winter Olympics are still underway, we expect athletes from China and Japan to perform at a high level and make new breakthroughs in the Games, and hope the people of the two countries can strengthen mutual understanding and friendship through the Games," the Embassy said.