The Volunteers' Home at the Chengdu Universiade Photo: Zhang Yashu/Global Times

Banners carrying the logo of the 31st FISU Summer World University Games deck the roads; Rongbao, the mascot of the Chengdu Universiade, is everywhere on the streets; buses and subways decorated with panda images are busy transporting people, many of them young, smiling foreigners carrying panda toys… Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province and an iconic western city known for its vigor and diversity, is in full swing to welcome guests from all over the world to the FISU World University Games, which is set to kick off on Friday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony in Chengdu on Friday and declare the Games open, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday. 

Analysts believe that the grand sports event, which had been postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic, will not only serve as a platform for young athletes to compete with and learn from each other, but also as an opportunity for them to deepen friendship and mutual understanding. 

Moreover, the FISU World University Games in Chengdu will also be a good start for China's summer season diplomacy, as the benign atmosphere of people-to-people exchanges will echo with the close interactions of top leaders, showing the world the solidarity and friendship needed in the face of shared challenges, they said. 

High expectations 

The Chengdu Universiade, which runs from July 28 to August 8, will feature 269 events across 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, including 411 athletes from more than 100 universities in 25 provincial regions, will participate in all 18 sports of the games.

Athletes from many countries and regions have already arrived in Chengdu. Many of them have shared with the Global Times their excitement of visiting China and also their anticipation of better performances at the event. 

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is also sending its largest ever squad to participate in the event. The delegation told the Global Times via e-mail that the athletes have been training hard for months in preparation for the Chengdu Universiade, and their goal is to "perform to the best" of their abilities and make the SAR proud. 

Chidiebere Ezeani, secretary general of the Nigerian University Games Association, told the Global Times that the goal for the Nigerian delegation, which consists of 30 athletes, is to showcase Nigeria's talent and potential in various sports, and hopes this experience will inspire and motivate athletes to excel further in their sporting careers.

Ezeani said that their athletes are determined and have trained diligently to give their best performance at the Games. "We are enthusiastic about representing Nigeria at the Universiade in Chengdu, and we believe this experience will be a significant milestone in the growth and development of our athletes in the international sporting arena," said Ezeani. 

The Austrian delegation, which included 37 student athletes, nine coaches and eight officials, will participate in nine events, including archery, fencing, judo and Wushu 

The delegation told the Global Times that after COVID-19, students should again be given numerous opportunities to practice their sport at competition level and they are glad that the Games are taking place because it is important for the athletes to be able to compete again.

The Austrian delegation also said that the preparations in Chengdu have been impressive and the athletes are excited to experience a vibrant city with a great historical background and learn about modern life in a well-known Chinese city.

Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the sports event, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. 

Analysts said that as an iconic inland Chinese city with rich cultural relics and a vibrant lifestyle, Chengdu will be a new window to show the world the attractiveness of Chinese culture and Chinese people's love for a peaceful and colorful life.

A series of cultural activities for the Universiade has been launched in Chengdu and the athletes' village will serve as one of the major cultural venues for young athletes, with the staging of many exciting events showcasing intangible cultural heritage, the Global Times has learned. 

Ezeani from the Nigerian delegation also expressed the delegation's excitement at exploring Chengdu, and said the athletes are "looking forward to immersing themselves in the local culture and local cuisine." 

Unlike previous arrangements that saw large-scale sports hosted in China's eastern regions, the FISU World University Games is being held in Chengdu, a city in Southwest China, which also shows the world that China's economic development is becoming more balanced across different regions, analysts said. 

Journalists browse souvenirs in the licensed merchandise store of the Main Media Center (MMC) of the 31st FISU Summer World University Games in Chengdu,Southwest China's Sichuan Province. The MMC of the Chengdu Universiade officially opened on July 25, from where a large number of news reports will be transmitted to the world. Photo: VCG

Summer season diplomacy 

On Thursday, President Xi met with visiting President Joko Widodo of the Republic of Indonesia and welcomed him to attend the Games' opening ceremony. Xi said China is willing to take the occasion as an opportunity to deepen strategic cooperation with Indonesia, set an example for developing countries of sharing a common future, pursuing solidarity and cooperation and boosting common development, and inject more certainty and positive energy into the region and the world.

Xi will hold a welcome banquet and a handful of bilateral events for other foreign leaders attending the opening ceremony, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Monday. 

President Irfaan Ali of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili have reportedly arrived at Chengdu. Other world leaders scheduled to attend the events include President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, President Evariste Ndayishimiye of the Republic of Burundi.

The FISU World University Games is also a good start for China's "summer diplomacy season" - the active and friendly interactions among different people from all over the world are creating and echoing with the constructive interactions between top leaders, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Leaders to attend the event in Chengdu come from developing countries, which also highlighted the close relations of the Global South and also underscored their support for each other, not only in economic development, but also in their pursuit of sovereignty, independence and justice in global affairs, said Li. 

Analysts said that the sports event is also a platform for young people from different countries and regions not only to compete together but also to exchange views. Such communication will also help broaden their horizons, especially after three years' disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic, and this will also help facilitate future exchanges between the countries in different fields. 

Li said that sport plays a significant role in bridging people from different countries and regions and helping improve their friendship. The FISU World University Games in Chengdu is a precious opportunity for athletes and people from all around the world to deepen mutual understanding and trust, which will also lay the foundation for closer cooperation between countries. 

Moreover, the sports event in Chengdu is a platform to show the world the great potential of China's vast western regions and opportunities to develop the world, according to Li.

"The great vitality of Chengdu and China's western regions will not only promote China's "dual circulation" development paradigm to sustain growth in the coming years, but also brings new opportunity for development to